Unanimously regarded by masters of classical guitar such as Oscar Cáceres as one of the top composers of the Brazilian violão (guitar) ever, Nicanor Teixeira wrote pieces in diverse genres in a curious dialectic between classical music and Brazilian folklore of choros, lundus, cateretês, sambas, batuques, valsas, ponteios, baiões, and modinhas. His creations have been published in Brazil, France, and Germany. In 1998, Cláudio Tupinambá recorded "Cateretê das Farinhas" and "Estudo No. 2." In 2000, mandolinist/arranger Afonso Machado and Bartholomeu Wiese (violão), members of the Galo Preto, produced the tribute CD Nicanor Teixeira por 28 Grandes Intérpretes with Teixeira's songs interpreted by noted musicians like Turíbio Santos, Egberto Gismonti, Guinga, Jodacil Damasceno, Léo Soares, Cláudio Tupinambá, Afonso Machado, Galo Preto, Bartholomeu Wiese, Marcos Llerena, Nicolas de Souza Barros, Maria Haro, Luiz Otávio Braga, Graça Alan, and others. Already an amateur player, Teixeira came to Rio de Janeiro in 1948, where he took classes with Dilermando Reis. In 1952, Teixeira performed at Ary Barroso's show, winning first prize. At that time, he was a member of the Orquestra de Violões de Dilermando Reis (Dilermando Reis Guitar Orchestra). His debut as a concerto player was in 1958 at ABI (Brazilian Press Association), when he was already a busy professor at the Brazilian conservatory and other music schools. Through Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, Teixeira came to back up Clementina de Jesus, Ismael Silva, Zé Kéti, Aracy de Almeida, and other singers. In 1961, an illness in the index-finger of his right hand forced him to abandon the profession of musician. In that period, he and other violão players designed the curriculum of the instrument for the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. Through intense effort, Teixeira overcame the problem in his hand and continued to perform sporadically, recording in 1977 the independent O Violão Brasileiro de Nicanor Teixeira; it was distributed as a gift by a company and was never commercialized. After 1985, he wrote several pieces for the Quarteto Carioca de Violões (formed by Maria Haro and Nicolas de Souza Barros), such as "Mariquinhas Duas Covas," considered a classic of today's violão ensembles. In 2000, he was paid tribute at the Sesc RioArte when several of his compositions were interpreted by Turíbio Santos, Jodacil Damasceno, Afonso Machado, and Galo Preto, among others. ~ Alvaro Neder