Born on February 29, 1988, in São Paulo, Brazil, Leo Testoni grew up surrounded by music as the son of a musician. His musical journey began with classical guitar before expanding to electric guitar and acoustic styles after four years of formal classical training. He started performing professionally at the age of 16 and, over the years, has shared the stage with some of Brazil's most respected artists, including Seu Jorge, Paula Lima, Léo Maia, João Parahyba (Trio Mocotó), Casa das Máquinas, Faiska, Maurício Manieri, and many others.

 

In 2011, Leo was invited to perform the Brazilian National Anthem at the WGP Kickboxing Championship, appearing in some of São Paulo's largest arenas with events broadcast live internationally. The following year, while touring with the legendary rock band Casa das Máquinas, he became one of the youngest musicians to leave his signature on Brazil's famous "Rock Walk of Fame." In 2016, he joined the Broadway revival of Godspell at Teatro das Artes in São Paulo, performing on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and ukulele.

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Alongside his career as a performer, Leo has been teaching guitar since 2005. That same year, he founded his own recording studio, where he has produced albums, soundtracks, and commercial recordings for a wide range of artists and projects.

 

From 2017 through 2020, Leo performed at the NAMM Show in California for four consecutive years. During one of those visits, in January 2018, he recorded his debut solo album, Arranged & Spontaneous Sessions, in Los Angeles, featuring renowned guest artists including Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), Faiska, Sandro Haick, and others. The album was later presented in a live studio session with a quintet, available on YouTube.

 

Leo earned his Bachelor's degree in Music from Cantareira University in 2015. In 2022, he received a full scholarship to pursue a Master's degree in Guitar Performance at Utah State University and moved to the United States in August of that year. Upon arriving, he was immediately invited to teach and perform in several university ensembles and productions. During his graduate studies, he taught private guitar lessons, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Music Theory, and Aural Skills, while performing with the USU Jazz Orchestra, the Caine Jazz Combo, and in musical theatre productions including One Man, Two Guvnors and Spotlight.

 

Leo and his wife, Latin GRAMMY-nominated vocalist and percussionist Paty Fernandes, founded Duet Paty & Leo in 2020 and released their debut album, Da Nossa Terra. Following the pandemic, the duo became a regular presence at luxury hotels, private events, and corporate functions throughout Brazil. In April 2023, they recorded with acclaimed drummer Danny Gottlieb (Pat Metheny Group, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Gil Evans Orchestra). Later that year, Paty & Leo served as musical director and arranger for a large-scale production at Charisma Église Chrétienne in Paris, creating arrangements for a band and choir of more than 40 musicians and performing for an audience of over 5,000 people, with the concert also streamed live worldwide.

 

After completing his Master's degree in 2024, Leo returned to Europe to perform as a soloist at five major jazz festivals, including the prestigious Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy.

In 2026, Leo was invited by Calm and Collected Music Group (CAC Records) to release a series of original compositions, serving as both producer and performer on the recordings.

 

Today, based in Los Angeles, California, Leo continues to balance an active career as a performer, educator, producer, and arranger. In addition to maintaining a private guitar studio and teaching at Arabesque Conservatory, he performs as a sideman with internationally acclaimed artists including Keiko Matsui, Caro Pierotto, Antonia Bennett, Grammy Award winners Los Texmaniacs, Ericka Guitron, Estani Frizzell, Natalia Spadini, and many others.