Gustavo Amarante is a bass player born in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With the purpose of expanding and fine-tuning his musical knowledge and instrument skills, Gustavo attended Berklee College of Music, graduating with a degree in professional music. While still in school, Gustavo’s unfaltering talent opened many doors and kept him busy in the Boston area. These formative years in an international and innovative ambience contributed to Gustavo’s professional development and the ample musical breadth for which he is highly appreciated today.
A resident of Brooklyn, New York, Gustavo has established himself as a highly respected electric bass player. Specializing in Brazilian & Latin rhythms and Jazz, Gustavo has performed with leading artists such as Gato Barbieri, Simon Diaz, Hendrik Meurkens, Claudio Roditi and Thalia, at top venues, including the Kennedy Center, The Blue Note, Birdland, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Nokia Theater, among many.
Gustavo tours extensively throughout North America, Europe, South America and Asia. His engagements have taken him to important festivals such as the Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia, the Jazz World Festival Hong Kong in China, the Kharkov Jazz Festival in the Ukraine, and the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival in Israel. Gustavo has also performed at world-renowned stages and jazz clubs, like The Bird’s Eye and Moods in Switzerland, Reigen and Porgy & Bess in Vienna, JZ Club in Shanghai, Black Cat in Jakarta, Cultural Centre’s Concert Hall in Hong Kong, and Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City.
In addition, Gustavo has had the opportunity to appear on stage with top-rate musicians such as Toninho Horta, Duduka da Fonseca, and Romero Lubambo, as well as to contribute to diverse recordings for celebrated musicians like Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Grammy-nominee Luis Salinas, Hendrik Meurkens, and pop vocalist Machan Taylor, to name a few.
Gustavo’s performance synthesizes his Brazilian upbringing and diverse international musical experiences with precision and innovation. As an sideman, Gustavo is known for his solid commitment and consistent delivery and musicianship, while in the recording room his reliability, creativity and effectiveness have made him an estimated session musician.