Thomas Rohde, Classical And Brazilian Guitar

I am a guitarist that specializes in Classical, Brazilian and Spanish guitar music and I play on a nylon-stringed, classical guitar. Classical guitar music is traditionally played on this type of instrument because of its rich, natural and intimate sound. I am a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA where I earned a Masters degree in classical guitar performance with honors. I have been playing guitar for over 25 years and have performed throughout Brazil, Taiwan and the United States as a soloist and chamber musician. I have been working professionally in the Boston area since 1994 and have played formal concerts at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Ryles Jazz Club, the Regattabar and have played gigs at many hotels, restaurants, weddings and private parties throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. I have excellent sound equipment and am able to play in almost any setting. In addition I often work with Brazilian vocalists, flutists and percussionists. I will be happy to discuss and recommend music that would be appropriate for your event and often learn and arrange specific pieces for special events such as weddings. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like more information.



Complete Bio:

Thomas Rohde, guitarist, has performed throughout the United States, Brazil and Taiwan as a soloist and chamber musician. Select performances include the 92nd Street Y in New York City, the Spoletto Festival in Charleston, SC, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Ryles Jazz Club and the Regattabar. He has performed with the New World Symphony, the New Bedford Symphony and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project's production of the modern opera, Angels in America in 2007.

Mr. Rohde's performance and research interests cross the boundaries between classical, world music and jazz. From 1997-2004 he was a member of the New World Guitar Trio with whom he recorded the CD, Exiled, released in 2000 (available on itunes). He has also played as a percussionist with the Cornell University Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, the Boston based Brazilian drumming groups Samba Tremeterra and Butakaxé and as a tenor banjo player with the Happy Feet Dance Orchestra. Recently he has performed with Choro Democrático, an all-acoustic seven-piece ensemble that plays Choro, a popular Brazilian instrumental style , and the Caravan world music trio, a group that explores traditional and improvisational music from Spain, Ireland, Africa and Brazil.

Rohde holds a Bachelor of Music in guitar performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Music degree (with honors) in guitar performance from the New England Conservatory. He has conducted extensive research on Brazilian music, by traveling and studying percussion, dance and guitar in Brazil and the U.S. and has written several entries about Brazilian music for the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music, publication date TBA. Mr. Rohde is on the music faculty of Middlesex Community College and teaches guitar, music appreciation and seminars on Brazilian music and culture at Bridgewater State University.

Anniversaries, Awards Nights, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Celebrations, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Cocktail Parties, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Dinner Dances, Events, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, New Year's Eve Parties, Picnic, Private Parties, Restaurants, Reunions, School Assemblies, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• Thomas made our wedding day very special. We hired him to play during our ceremony and cocktail hour. He worked with us to select pieces for the processional and recessional, but we gave him free reign beyond that to select other music for before the ceremony and afterwards, and he was magnificent. He captured the mood just perfectly. Very much a pleasure to deal with from start to finish and we would very highly recommend him for your event. -- Marc H, Provincetown, MA, 5/14/2011
• Tom is completely great. He communicated with me before the event, took time to find out specific pieces we wanted him to play, was super professional and reliable, and played BEAUTIFULLY! Tom was a special addition to our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour - I'm so glad we found him via this site. If you are researching guitar players and are thinking about contacting Tom, DO IT! I promise you will be extremely pleased. -- Elizabeth N, Providence, RI, 4/30/2011
• We hired Thomas to play flamenco guitar for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. He did a phenomenal job! Thomas worked with me beforehand to select the perfect songs, took special requests, and was always prompt and professional in his emails and over the phone. The day of the wedding he arrived early to set up and made a special point to thank us for hiring him to be a part of our special day. He played beautifully and we received many compliments from our guests. Thank you for a unique and beautiful experience, we loved having you! -- Sara M, Sharon, MA, 12/18/2010
• Tom was AMAZING! All of my guests commented on how much they enjoyed his playing & how good he was. He learned two Nick Drake songs for our processional & recessional and when I heard him start to play them, I got chills because they sounded soo perfect (they are special songs for my husband & i). Tom came early to set up/tune, & communicated/coordinated with me prior to the event to ensure he had all the contacts & info he needed so i did not have to worry on my wedding day. If you don't hire Tom for your event, you're crazy!! He is a true talent, nice guy, and professional. I would give him an 11 if possible! Thank You Thank You Tom~you did such a great job! :) -- Kerri S, Sandwich, MA, 10/10/2010
• Thomas was wonderful. Every single guest commented on the high quality of the music and enjoyed his selections. He worked with us prior to our wedding to select the best songs for each part of the ceremony. He also downloaded the music and learned to play the song we requested for our first dance! (You are the Sunshine of my Life.) He's very professional as well. Can't say enough good things! -- Courtney N, Sudbury, MA, 12/4/2010
• We had a wonderful experience with Thomas. He always responded quickly to any communication and had great recommendations for our event. We even asked him to do a random vocal accompaniment and he made it work seamlessly. I would highly recommend him for his professionalism and talent! -- Liz K, Portsmouth, RI, 6/26/2010
• Tom was an amazing addition to our wedding, his music made our ceremony absolutely unforgettable. I asked Tom if he would play Harvest Moon by Neil Young while my father walked me down the aisle. Not only did he agree to learn and play it, he played it so beautifully and adapted it a bit for his style of guitar. Our guests raved about Tom's talent. He was so accommodating and easy to work with, it made the wedding planning process that much easier knowing I had a great musician to work with. Our wedding would have been incomplete without Tom! -- Lindsay S, Portsmouth, RI, 6/24/2010
• Tom is absolutely amazing. He is professional, kind and so very talented. He plays with ease and grace. Everyone at our wedding commented on how wonderful he was. He was very helpful in choosing just the right musical pieces for the ceremony and cocktail hour. For our wedding, Tom played Spanish and Latin pieces to complement the Spanish theme. Incredible job. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a classical guitarist. When I have another event that warrants live music, I will definitely be giving Tom a call back. A+! Thanks, Tom! You made our wedding day that much more memorable. -- Stephanie B, Windham, NH, 6/12/2010
• Thomas was the best addition to our Spanish-themed party. In the words of our guests, he made the event "magical." Very professional, accommodating, and wonderfully talented. -- Kristen O, Providence, RI, 6/5/2010
• Mr. Rohde is a virtuous guitarist and a scholar in Brazilian music. He performed and lectured at very high level. -- Julio C, Cambridge, MA, 11/19/2009
• Tom was an incredible addition to our wedding on 9/4/09. He is very talented and plays beautifully. He was very professional and I was immediately impressed with his organized approach to helping us work through the ceremony and cocktail hour logistics. He sent us a list of questions requesting ceremony details which helped us to think through things. We felt so confident with his approach and professionalism that we didn't feel the need for a rehearsal. When we met in person that day, it was comfortable like meeting an old friend. He has a wonderful gift and presence. I highly recommend him to anyone – you can trust you will be in good hands. -- Malti S, Bolton, MA, 9/4/2009
• Tom's music a wonderful part of our wedding day. In addition to his outstanding repertoire of Latin and classical guitar music, Tom learned several of our favorite pieces including some Russian music where no notes were available...he learned these by listening to recordings of the music! We highly recommend Tom. -- Jeff P, Cataumet, MA, 7/3/2009
• Quite simply, Tom was amazing! His music was perfectly chosen (by him) to fit each circumstance during the ceremony and reception. Everyone at our wedding was enthralled ("how did you find this guy, etc, etc"). If you have the opportunity to hire him, don't wait for a second! We are grateful he was there for us. Keith and Maryellen -- Keith N, Portsmouth, NH, 10/29/2011
• Tom was exceptional. From the moment we first made contact via email and later by phone, he was accomodating, helpful and very polite. He even agreed to do a rendition of a special, non classical song for us and worked hard to make a special arrangement. His playing was superb. He played all our favorites and had a marvelous technique. Having Tom was a perfect addition to our wedding and helped to make it special. -- Daren A, North Stonington, CT, 10/15/2011

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