ORQUESTRA URBANA
Contemporary Brazilian large ensemble exploring the intersection of Brazilian music, improvisation, and contemporary orchestral writing.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Orquestra Urbana is a contemporary Brazilian jazz orchestra founded by composer, arranger, and music director Rafael Piccolotto de Lima in São Paulo in 2014.
Since its creation, the ensemble has served as a platform for original compositions, large ensemble projects, artistic collaborations, recordings, educational activities, and contemporary Brazilian instrumental music.
Bringing together musicians from the Brazilian jazz, orchestral, and contemporary music communities, the orchestra has developed a body of work that combines original repertoire, commissioned projects, guest artist collaborations, and long-term artistic research into large ensemble practices.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
A central aspect of Orquestra Urbana’s work is the exploration of Brazilian musical language within contemporary large ensemble settings.
Rather than simply orchestrating traditional Brazilian repertoire, the ensemble investigates how composition, orchestration, improvisation, rhythm section interaction, and ensemble collaboration can generate new musical environments for contemporary large ensembles.
Through rehearsals, recordings, concerts, and commissioned projects, the orchestra develops works where written material and spontaneous performance coexist as interconnected parts of the same artistic process.
MUSICIANS & COLLABORATORS
Orquestra Urbana brings together musicians active in Brazil’s instrumental music, jazz, and orchestral scenes.
Over the years, the ensemble has included performers, improvisers, arrangers, composers, educators, and orchestra musicians associated with major ensembles, universities, conservatories, and independent music projects throughout São Paulo and Brazil.
Musicians associated with the ensemble have also performed and collaborated with organizations such as:
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Brasil Jazz Sinfônica
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Banda Mantiqueira
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São Paulo big bands
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The project has also collaborated with guest artists including:​
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Brian Lynch
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John Daversa
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André Mehmari
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Nailor Azevedo “Proveta”
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Paulo Braga
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Phil Doyle
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Sued Nunes
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Mãeana
RECORDINGS
Pelos Ares (2016 release)​​
In 2015, Orquestra Urbana recorded Pelos Ares, an album featuring original compositions and arrangements by Rafael Piccolotto de Lima written specifically for the ensemble.
The recording documents an important stage in the orchestra’s artistic development and presents works that explore Brazilian music, improvisation, and contemporary large ensemble writing.
The album features guest appearances by Grammy-winning and internationally recognized artists including Brian Lynch, John Daversa, André Mehmari, Nailor Azevedo “Proveta”, Paulo Braga, and Phil Doyle, bringing together artists from Brazilian and international jazz communities.
More than a studio recording, Pelos Ares serves as a document of the orchestra’s artistic identity and its ongoing exploration of contemporary Brazilian large ensemble music.
Estúdio Cachuera Sessions (2024-2025)
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As part of the orchestra’s post-pandemic activities, Orquestra Urbana recorded a series of live studio sessions at Estúdio Cachuera featuring new repertoire, guest artists, and recent large ensemble projects.
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Recorded at Estúdio Cachuera in São Paulo, these sessions document a new phase in the orchestra’s development following the pandemic period. The recordings feature recent compositions, guest artists, and repertoire developed for the ensemble’s forthcoming album and are available through the orchestra’s YouTube channel and digital platforms.
​Upcoming Album (2026-2027)
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The orchestra’s second album is currently in production and features original compositions developed over the last decade, including commissioned works, recent large ensemble projects, and collaborations with guest artists.
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Recording sessions were completed in 2026, with release planned for 2026-2027.
CONCERTS & PERFORMANCES
Since its founding in 2014, Orquestra Urbana has presented concerts, recordings, educational activities, and artistic collaborations in venues and institutions across São Paulo and Brazil.
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Selected venues, concert series, and artistic programs include:
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Sala São Paulo
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SESC Pinheiros
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SESC Pompeia
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SESC Campinas
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Circuito SESC
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Concha Acústica do Taquaral (Campinas) - Grandes Bandas Grandes
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JazzB (São Paulo)
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Jazz nos Fundos (São Paulo)
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SP Instrumental
The orchestra’s activities have included original concerts, commissioned works, guest artist collaborations, recording projects, educational initiatives, and contemporary Brazilian instrumental music programs developed for large ensemble settings.
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SP Instrumental was a concert series presented by the Government of the State of São Paulo through the State Secretariat of Culture, supporting instrumental music projects and performances throughout the state.
TIMELINE
2014 - Foundation and Debut Performance
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Orquestra Urbana was founded in São Paulo by composer, arranger, and music director Rafael Piccolotto de Lima. The ensemble made its debut as part of the Grandes Bandas Grandes project at the Concha Acústica do Taquaral in Campinas.
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2015 - ProAC Selection and Recording of Pelos Ares
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The orchestra was selected through the ProAC Program of the State of São Paulo, supporting the recording of its debut album Pelos Ares and a concert tour throughout the state of São Paulo. Performances included venues such as SESC units, Jazz nos Fundos and Jazz B (São Paulo), and Almanaque (Campinas).
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2016-2017 - Album Release and International Recognition
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The release of Pelos Ares marked an important milestone in the orchestra’s development. During this period, several compositions associated with the ensemble received international recognition through awards, competitions, and professional commissions.
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2018-2019 - New Repertoire Development
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The orchestra continued developing new original compositions, arrangements, and large ensemble projects, expanding its repertoire and artistic collaborations.
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2020 - Online Commission
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rafael Piccolotto de Lima received a commission from the Jazz Studies Department at Boise State University to compose Online, a work created for a remote recording project involving university students. The composition is scheduled to appear on the orchestra’s upcoming album.
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2024 - Return to Live Activities
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Following the pandemic period, Orquestra Urbana resumed regular in-person activities, including participation in SP Instrumental and studio recording sessions at Estúdio Cachuera, documenting new repertoire and audiovisual content.
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2025 - Sala São Paulo premiere and New Album Sessions
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The orchestra performed as part of the Matinais da Sala São Paulo concert series and presented a concert at the Sociedade Hípica de Campinas. Recording sessions for the ensemble’s next album also began during this period.
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2026 - Residency and New Album Completion
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Orquestra Urbana became the resident ensemble of a contemporary music concert series at SESC Pinheiros, presenting performances with guest artists including Mãeana and Sued Nunes. During the same year, recording sessions for the orchestra’s second album were completed ahead of its forthcoming release.
ORIGINAL WORKS & COMMISSIONED PROJECTS
The ensemble’s repertoire includes original compositions, arrangements, commissioned works, and collaborative productions developed for contemporary large ensemble settings.
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Many of these projects originated through commissions, artistic collaborations, academic research, and works dedicated to influential composers whose music helped shape the ensemble’s artistic direction.
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Selected projects include:
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Entre Outras Coisas, commissioned by the University of Colorado Jazz Studies Department as a tribute to Brazilian composer Moacir Santos.
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Online, commissioned by the Jazz Studies Department at Boise State University during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a remote recording project involving university students.
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Raiar, commissioned and premiered by the Symphony of the Americas, later adapted for Orquestra Urbana. The work was subsequently selected for presentation at the symposium of the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC).
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Several works in the repertoire were written as tributes to composers and artists who have played an important role in Rafael Piccolotto de Lima’s artistic development:
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Negative Space, dedicated to composer, arranger, and conductor Vince Mendoza. The work was inspired in part by Rafael’s doctoral research, Beyond Third Stream: A Study in Composition of Confluent Hybrid Musical Styles, which included analytical study and interviews with Mendoza.
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Fables of Mingus, dedicated to Charles Mingus, recipient of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.
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Brookmeyer Motives, dedicated to Bob Brookmeyer, also recipient of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.
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Febre, recorded on the album Pelos Ares, dedicated to trombonist, composer, and arranger Alan Ferber.
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Works dedicated to Brazilian composers including Hermeto Pascoal and Moacir Santos.
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The orchestra’s repertoire also includes award-winning compositions developed throughout Rafael Piccolotto de Lima’s career, including Pelos Ares, winner of the Ricardo Rizek Latin American Composition Competition, later recorded as the title track of the ensemble’s debut album.
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Through these projects, Orquestra Urbana has developed a repertoire that combines original composition, large ensemble writing, artistic research, Brazilian musical traditions, improvisation, and collaboration with musicians and institutions in Brazil and abroad.
LARGE ENSEMBLE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Beyond concerts and recordings, Orquestra Urbana developed as a long-term environment for experimentation, artistic development, and the creation of new repertoire for contemporary large ensembles.
Over more than a decade of activity, the ensemble provided a platform for testing new compositions, arrangements, rehearsal approaches, and collaborative creative processes involving musicians from different backgrounds within Brazilian instrumental music, jazz, and orchestral traditions.
Many of the works later performed, recorded, commissioned, or recognized through awards and international collaborations were first developed through the orchestra’s rehearsal and performance process. This ongoing work allowed compositions and arrangements to evolve through direct interaction with performers, creating a continuous dialogue between written material, improvisation, ensemble practice, and live performance.
The experience of leading Orquestra Urbana became an important foundation for Rafael Piccolotto de Lima’s broader work as a composer, arranger, music director, educator, and artistic producer, influencing projects developed in Brazil, the United States, and Europe.
LEGACY & ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION
Since its founding in 2014, Orquestra Urbana has served as a platform for the creation of new repertoire, artistic collaboration, recordings, educational activities, and performances dedicated to contemporary Brazilian large ensemble music.
Through the orchestra, Rafael Piccolotto de Lima developed a body of work that explores how Brazilian musical traditions can engage with contemporary international large ensemble practices. Influenced by composers and arrangers such as Maria Schneider, Vince Mendoza, Bob Brookmeyer, and other leading voices in contemporary jazz orchestra writing, these projects seek to create a distinctly Brazilian perspective within a broader global conversation about large ensemble music.
This work is also informed by Rafael’s long-standing research into Brazilian big band traditions, including academic studies dedicated to the music of Banda Mantiqueira and arranger Nailor Azevedo “Proveta.” Alongside these influences, the orchestra has developed projects and compositions dedicated to important Brazilian composers such as Hermeto Pascoal and Moacir Santos, whose work continues to shape contemporary Brazilian instrumental music.
Over the years, Orquestra Urbana has become both an artistic ensemble and a creative laboratory through which new compositions, arrangements, and collaborative practices have contributed to the ongoing development of Brazilian large ensemble music in dialogue with international jazz and orchestral traditions.