Two Brazilian singers known for their roles in “Wicked” will be joining The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and the Orchestra at Temple Square during the “Canções de Esperança” (“Songs of Hope”) concert series in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the last week of February.
Myra Ruiz, known for her role as Elphaba in Brazil’s professional productions of “Wicked,” and Fabi Bang, who is known for her role as Glinda, are the guest artists.
Both Ruiz and Bang are Brazilian musical theater actors and voice artists. Bang has had leading roles in Brazil’s national theater productions, including “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Little Mermaid.”
They will be at an invitation-only concert at the Sala São Paulo, with leaders and partners from the interfaith, community and public service sectors, according to announcements on the Tabernacle Choir’s social media on Feb. 20.
Also, tenor Nathan Pacheco will sing with the choir and orchestra in Brazil, he announced in a Feb. 18 video on his social media.
“Brazil, here I come,” said Pacheco, who served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil.
The choir and orchestra have presented similar concerts with government, business, community and interfaith leaders on other tour stops, in addition to the larger arena concerts a few days later. Also, the choir and orchestra have a tradition of performing with guest artists, both on tour and during the annual Christmas concerts.
In Argentina in August 2025, celebrated tango singer Raúl Lavié — introduced as an “honorary member of the Tabernacle Choir” — performed with them in the Palacio Libertad auditorium. A year ago in Lima, Peru, the concert featured Adassa, whose parents are from Colombia and who was the voice of Dolores Madrigal in Disney’s “Encanto,” and Alex Melecio, who is from Mexico.
The choir and orchestra will perform in the Ginásio do Ibirapuera on Friday, Feb. 27, Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1.
The concert on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. Brasília Standard Time, 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, will be streamed live on the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube channel.
Invitations and tickets have been distributed for all of the concerts.
The special guest artist for the Ginásio do Ibirapuera concerts will be announced soon, according to the announcements.
‘Songs of Hope’ tour
Brazil is the sixth stop on the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra’s multiyear, multicountry “Songs of Hope” tour.
The tour started in 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico; continued in 2024 to Manila, Philippines, in February and to Florida and Georgia in the southeastern United States in September. In 2025, the tour continued to Lima, Peru, in February and to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as they helped celebrate 100 years of the Church in South America. The tour stop in Brazil continues the celebration.
In December 1925, Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered a prayer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, blessing the continent for the preaching of the restored gospel.
The larger stadium and arena concerts from Peru and Argentina are still available for streaming.
On all of the stops, select concerts have been available on YouTube, with area Church members and congregations encouraged to hold watch parties.
About the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra
The tour stops include most of the members of the 360-voice volunteer choir and 85 members of the orchestra, along with choir leaders and staff. These “musical missionaries” are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and choir members have a monthslong audition process.
The choir’s origins date back to 1847, when pioneer members of the Church formed a choir to sing at a conference of the Church weeks after arriving in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley. The orchestra was organized in 1999, and up to 85 musicians from a roster of 200 volunteers perform with the choir during the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast and other special events.
