– About Ney –
All about Ney Rosauro. Scroll down to read quotes about Ney, and articles written about Ney’s music.

Ney Rosauro
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ney Rosauro is considered one of the most important percussion composers of the 20th century.
With his unique style of writing, which combines charming melodies with catchy rhythms, Rosauro utilizes the rich elements of Brazilian folklore to create stylized compositions that are full of life and fantasy, and has been enchanting audiences all over the world.
His 100-plus compositions and method books are standards in the percussion repertoire. Rosauro’s first marimba concerto is arguably the most popular percussion concerto and has been performed thousands of times by distinguished orchestras worldwide.
His 11 CDs have been hailed by critics, percussionists, and general music-lovers alike.
Ney has given solo recitals and appeared as a soloist with orchestras in more than 45 countries, and has presented workshops/residencies at some of the world’s most prestigious conservatories and universities.
Dr. Rosauro was Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Miami (2000-2009) and headed the Percussion Department at the Federal University of Santa Maria, RS in Brazil (1987-2000). He was also percussion instructor at the Escola de Musica de Brasilia, and timpanist with the Orquestra do Teatro Nacional de Brasilia in Brazil (1975-1987).
He received his DMA from the University of Miami, his Master’s degree from the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, Germany, and his Bachelor Degree in Compositionn and Conducting from the Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil.
Ney Rosauro is a Yamaha, Sabian and Contemporanea artist, playing exclusively with NR mallets and sticks by Vic Firth, and his works are available through ProPercussaoBrasil (distributed worldwide by MalletWorks Music).
– Quotes –
– High quality contemporary music……. (CD Brazilian Fantasy, 2017)
” In all three concerts the main features of Rosauro’s poetics stand out: freshness and melodic generosity, rhythmic dynamism,and also a polyphonic complexity and a formal clarity that recall neoclassicism and baroque music.
The ability to make these different elements interact with each other and keep them in an admirable balance is the secret of the compositions of the Brazilian author….
CD Double Concerto (Stradivarius, Italy 2020)
Standing ovation and a special encore……virtuosity without limit, expression and musical quality that we seldom are able to listen.
Ney Rosauro’s compositional skills simply charm and seduce us. He did it in his immensely popular Marimba Concerto, and now again in his new Vibraphone Concerto. This piece is sure to be a winner with performers and audiences alike world-wide.
This is an excellent recording of works for Marimba by Brazilian composer / percussionist Ney Rosauro. The playing is excellent as well as exciting […][…] the use of Brazilian rhythms and popular roots makes a very enjoyable listening experience. – Most highly recommended. (LP Marimba Brasileira)
The Concerto for Marimba and Strings by Rosauro showed off not only his abilities as a marimbist but also his skills as a composer and arranger … the pieces were difficult, but the technical skills displayed by Rosauro, not only made it look easy but enjoyable as well.
Ney Rosauro showed why his name is solidly established in the world of mallets. He presented a virtuosic performance of his Marimba Concerto N.2, music rich with description and images.
[…] the Concerto for Marimba and Strings from Ney Rosauro was the highest moment from the concert. The piece itself and Rosauro’s performance won the night and were enthusiastically applauded by the audience, not only for its originality but also for the artistic value of the work itself. The composer created a strong and cohesive work with an increasing development.
[…] He enchanted with magic sounds never heard before.
This landmark CD performance of three Ney Rosauro’s percussion concerti is an outstanding reference recording for a definitive performance interpretation of his music…
Review of CD: Concerti for Solo Percussion and Wind Ensemble.
[…] very impressive was the perfect hand coordination and control of the mallets. A very gratifying concert.
– Articles –

The Rosauro Marimba Concerto: A Formal Analysis, by Wan Chun Liao
Percussive Notes

Crossing Grip Extensions, by Ney Rosauro
Yamaha Educator Series

PAS Magazine 20 Years of the Rosauro Marimba Concert
Jeff Moore

Marimba Concerto 30 years

Modern Drummer Brazil 2016. Entrevista com Ney Rosauro (in portuguese)

Suite Brasil 500. Un Estudio Performativo Historico y Cultural, by Ciro Rodriguez Llorens (Spain)

Ney Rosauro's Two Concerti For Marimba and Orchestra
by Wan-Chun Liao

A Look at Ney Rosauro's Educational Series for Percussion
by Dr. Domenico E. Zarro

Ney Rosauro Concerto Nº1 per Marimba e Orchestra Dinamica di un'analisi
by Girolamo Di Sciorio

RHAPSODY FOR PERCUSSION AND ORCHESTRA
Ney Rosauro DMA Dissertation (1992)

Concerto Nº 1 para Marimba e Rapsódia para Solo de Percussão de Ney Rosauro
André Rocha, Portugal

GUIA MUSICAL BRASILIA, Entrevista com N.R. e suas experiencias como pioneiro em Brasilia
Ney Rosauro’s Video Lessons on the Extended Cross Grip
Click below to a YouTube playlist with all Vic Firth / Ney Rosauro’s Video Lessons on the Extended Cross Grip
Ney Rosauro’s Video Lessons on the Extended Cross Grip
Click below to a YouTube playlist with all Vic Firth / Ney Rosauro’s Video Lessons on the Extended Cross Grip

Ney Rosauro Vic Firth Signature Mallets
Ney designed this special series of marimba and vibraphone mallets to reflect the sound he desired for his award winning compositions.
All of the models feature rattan shafts and rubber cores coupled with special yarn and cord choices. This assures the player a pure and natural sound that projects the full capabilities of the instrument. Unique to this series are two “hybrid” models designed to cross over between marimba, vibraphone and xylophone.
Learn more about the Ney Rosauro Mallets at VicFirth.com
Image and text courtesy of Vic Firth.