Hamilton de Holanda Trio to Perform Intimate Concert at Pasadena’s Travis Auditorium

Travis Auditorium (Fuller Seminary), Pasadena, CA on Sunday, January 18, 2026 – 8pm

Described by the legendary Hermeto Pascoal as “the best mandolin player in the world,” Brazilian string genius Holanda is a fiercely melodic improviser who delivers flashing, exquisitely crafted lines on his custom-made 10-string mandolin-like bandolin.

The bandolin holds a treasured place in Brazilian music, and Hamilton de Holanda stands as its undisputed master. Making his return to Southern California, he brings a dazzling blend of lyricism and virtuosity, spinning intricate, lightning-fast lines on his custom 10-string mandolin-like instrument.

A prolific, award-winning composer, de Holanda has pushed the bandolin far beyond its roots in choro and Brazilian jazz, opening new creative possibilities through his fearless explorations. Over the past three decades, he has recorded with Brazilian guitar greats Yamandu Costa, Raphael Rabello, and Diogo Nogueira, earning multiple Latin GRAMMY nominations along the way. His collaborations extend across genres and borders, partnering with luminaries like Chick Corea, Chucho Valdés, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, esperanza spalding, Snarky Puppy, Dave Matthews, and Coldplay. His 2024 Sony Music Brazil duo album with Rubalcaba, Collab, received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. 

Brazilian mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda has won multiple Latin Grammys, including recent wins for Best Latin Jazz Album with his trio for "LIVE IN NYC" in late 2025 (at the 26th Awards) and for Best Instrumental Album with C4 Trío for "Tembla" in 2024, solidifying his status as a major Latin music artist. He is a prolific winner, with several nominations and wins across different instrumental and Braziliann music categories of the years, known for blending choro, jazz and improvisation.

For this performance, de Holanda appears with his stellar trio featuring pianist Salomão Soares—an imaginative improviser whose sound bridges classical, jazz, and the vibrant traditions of Brazil’s northeast—and drummer Thiago “Big” Rabello, who weaves the polyrhythmic intricacies of Brazilian music seamlessly into a jazz framework, driving the ensemble with irresistible energy.

"He is the embodiment of everything we want in a musician" -Wynton Marsalis on Hamilton de Holanda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamiltondeholanda/

Tickets for Hamilton de Holanda Trio, priced at $95/$65 for reserved admission are available by logging to www.BrazilianNites.com 

Travis Auditorium (Fuller Seminary) is located at 180 N. Madison Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101. Free parking.