I was born in Recife, a large city in the northeast of Brazil. My journey with the piano started when I was ten years old. My family (parents, 2-year-old sister and I) lived in a shantytown and my father worked as a guard in a modest music school in Recife. When I was 10 years old I was able to receive a scholarship from that music school and started my piano lessons with Professor Levi Guedes. After 8 months of lessons, I won a piano competition from the Conservatorio Pernambucano de Musica, which resulted in a scholarship from the state music conservatory.

That was a turning point in my life. After receiving the scholarship from the music conservatory, I received a piano as a gift and it was also the time when I met Bob Crites, the founder of a non-profit organization called SHSKI, Students Helping Street Kids International. Bob, a resident of Eugene founded SHSKI in 1997 and has provided good academic education to children in need in Brazil and Tanzania. With the support from SHSKI, I was able to attend a good private school in Brazil and also to take English courses at a private English-language school.

SHSKI was also a great “architect” for my piano career. In the years 2008, 2009 and 2010, given the organization’s support, I was able to come to the United States, and give summer piano recitals for four consecutive years. These concerts, held in Oregon, raised money for my college funding at the University of Oregon, where I was planning to apply. As so far accomplished, I am currently a second-year student at the University of Oregon pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree with a major in piano performance under Dr. Dossin.

Throughout my music path I have mostly been involved with recitals and solo performance. However, the moments that I enjoyed the most were those in which I performed Mozart concerto n.13 in C Major with the Symphonic Orchestra of my city, the OSR when I was 14. I also keep it very tenderly the performances I had with choir and our participation in the opera La Boheme and Carmina Burana.