Guinga Igreja da Penha, played by Max Rudd

The church Igreja da Penha sits high atop a mountain in the Zona Norte of Rio de Janeiro, providing a solemn spiritual and geographical landmark for the vast expanse of mostly poor suburbs below. This beautiful work comes from the remarkable Brazilian composer guitarist Guinga, whose extraordinary use of harmony has pushed the limits of the guitar, and earned him the respect and adoration of guitarists in Brazil and around the world. Maximillian Rudd is a PhD candidate within the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on the music of Brazil and the sevenstring guitar.