Vianna Bergeron Brazilian Jazz is led by pianist Cassio Vianna and saxophonist Tom Bergeron and features vocalist Rosi Bergeron, bassist Wagner Trindade, and drummer Todd Strait. The group focuses on music by Brazilian artists and original compositions by members of the band. All are steeped in traditional and contemporary Brazilian rhythms and practices. Cassio, Tom, Rosi, and Wagner have been playing Brazilian music together since 2009. 

Cassio Vianna - piano

Cassio Vianna is a composer, pianist, arranger, and educator whose work reflects the broad range of musical and cultural influences he has received during his years of training. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vianna started his music studies in classical music, then engaged in several recording and performing projects in the Rio de Janeiro music scene, including the Brazilian jazz trio Dialeto Brasileiro. 

Cassio holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Brazilian Popular Music from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a Master of Music degree in Contemporary Music from Western Oregon University, and a Doctor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado.

Vianna’s arrangements have been performed by Ernie Watts, Chris Potter, Martha Reeves, Lynn Anderson, Tony Kadleck, Danny Gottlieb, Armando Marçal, Chuck Owen's Jazz Surge Band, Clay Jenkins, and the United States Army Field Band (Jazz Ambassadors), among others. Vianna's piece "Baião Moderno" was awarded Outstanding New Instrumental Composition at the International Jazz Composers' Symposium, in 2017.

Cassio lives with his wife Bethany and their three sons in Tacoma, WA, where he is the Director of Jazz Studies at Pacific Lutheran University.

Tom Bergeron - saxophones

Tom Bergeron has performed throughout the United States, and in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, and Poland.  He draws musical inspiration from the jazz heritage and other music traditions from around the world.  Since 2000 he has been deeply involved in studying, playing, and teaching Brazilian music. 

During his varied career as a performer, Tom has appeared with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lynn Anderson, Hal Blaine, Anthony Braxton, Marvio Ciribelli, Rosemary Clooney, Natalie Cole, Robert Cray, Myron Florin, Vinnie Golia, Dick Hyman, Oliver Lake, Graham Lear, Joe Lovano, Glen Moore, Bernadette Peters, Luis Resto, Curtis Salgado, Bobby Shew, Sunny Turner, Gust Tsilis, Mason Williams, The Fifth Dimension, The Temptations, Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, and Marin Alsop's String Fever.

Tom holds BA, BS, MM, and DMA degrees in saxophone and theory/composition from the Universities of New Hampshire, Michigan, and Oregon. For 28 years, he was Professor of Music at Western Oregon University, where he taught woodwinds, music theory, ethnomusicology, music business, jazz, and Brazilian music – and served as both Department Head and Chair of the Creative Arts Division.

Tom and his wife, Rosi, spend nine months of the year in the mountains of Camp Sherman, Oregon, and the rest of the year at their home in Niterói, Brazil, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro. When not working on music projects, Tom can often be found kayaking or swimming in the lakes of the Oregon Cascades, or walking the beaches of Brazil.

Rosi Bergeron - voice

Singer Rosi Bergeron brings to the band the sensuous sound of Brazilian Portuguese and her distinctive expression of Brasilidade (Brazilianness).

Born in the “cidade maravilhosa” that is Rio de Janeiro, Rosi immersed herself throughout her childhood in music and dance at her neighborhood samba school – frequently visiting and practicing, as well, with the venerable escolas de samba Portela and Vila Isabel. Her father, a saxophonist who regularly played at block parties during Carnaval, instilled in her a love of traditional Brazilian music from a young age.

Since coming to the US in 2009, Rosi has established herself as a dynamic interpreter of bossa nova, samba, choro, and música popular brasileira (MPB). As as singer, she strives to physically connect with the emotional resonance of a song’s lyric and melody, and to reach listeners on an intuitive level through her embodiment of those emotions.

In addition to her work as a singer, Rosi owns a thriving counseling practice, which focuses on helping her patients understand the connections between body, mind, and emotion – and to bring them into a healthy balance. Rosi loves to hang out at the sun-drenched beaches of her beloved Brazil, and the lakes, rivers, and mountains of Central Oregon.

Wagner Trindade - bass

Having grown up in Rio de Janeiro, Wagner Trindade captures in his music the feeling of tenacity and grit that he admires in Brazilians who can find humor in adversity. His bass playing, original songs and arrangements are lyrical, emotional, and lively, echoing the energy and spirit of Brazil.

Wagner learned guitar basics from his brother Paulo as a young boy. Sharing a single guitar among them would quickly not suffice. Luck would strike when a neighbor had an old beat-up guitar with the first two strings missing. Overjoyed and creative, the brothers could now form a duet on guitar and Wagner’s newly discovered “bass.”

Since then, Wagner has traveled and performed throughout Brazil, the US, and China; and has shared the stage with Lizz Wright, Allen Toussaint, Nancy King, Rique Pantoja, Giulio Figueroa, and many other distinguished friends. He lives with his wife, Marie, in Los Angeles, is a full-time faculty instructor at Los Angeles Harbor College and an active musician throughout LA. He holds a Master of Music degree from Western Oregon University and a Bachelor of Music degree from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Todd Strait - drums

Originally from Kansas, Todd spent 10 years in New York City playing with Marian McPartland, Tal Farlow, and Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. Upon returning to Kansas City in 1990, Todd met Eldar, Karrin Allyson, and Kevin Mahagony — leading to national and international travel with each over a 20 year period.

Todd has played on more than 100 recordings as a sideman — most notably receiving two Grammy nominations with Karrin Allyson, one with Eldar, and one with Randy Porter and Nancy King. In 2017, Todd released his debut album as a leader, "There'll Be Some Changes Made", featuring Bill Mays, Bob Bowman, and Danny Embrey.

With his deep knowledge of and experience with Brazilian grooves, elite technical skills and unmatched sensitivity, Todd is a world-class Brazilian jazz drummer.