Biography

​Érico Freire Bezerra, Collaborative Pianist

Brazilian pianist Érico Freire Bezerra holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Harley.

He received his Bachelor's degree from Rio Grande do Sul Federal University (UFRGS) in Brazil and his Master's degree from Illinois State University. Érico has been a prizewinner in numerous piano competitions, including the Orquestra Sinfônica de Goiânia Young Soloist Competition, where he performed Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major. In 2023, he received 2nd place in the 41st Annual Jesse Kneisel Lieder Competition and The Barbara M. H. Koeng Award for collaborative pianists at Eastman.

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Since the beginning of his DMA, Erico has participated in many music festivals, including the Toronto Summer Music Festival and the Music on Site.Inc (MOSI) 2022 where he served as Music Director in the opera Suor Angelica. He attended the Aspen Music Festival and School as a fellow in the Vocal Collaboration program. Last summer, Érico was selected for the inaugural Cincinnati Song Initiative program and worked as a collaborative pianist for the Finger Lakes Opera and the Endless Mountain Music Festival.

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Since 2015, Érico Bezerra has served as a staff collaborative pianist at UFRGS in Porto Alegre, Brazil. During his time at Eastman, he was a recipient of the Fulbright/CAPES Scholarship. In 2025, he will return to Porto Alegre/Brazil to resume his activities at the university.