Hi, I’m Carla.
I’m a pianist, traveller, researcher and producer. My career is dedicated to artistic and social projects involving music, nature, culture, music and film production. My mission is: Taking the piano to nature and its people and bringing the richness of their music and culture back to the stage.
Through my work, I have the privilege of offering the public the chance to get closer to the piano, to get to know works by contemporary artists, to appreciate the diversity of peoples through the music of each place, and also to have a positive impact on needy communities.
I’m often asked, “how did it all begin”?
I was born in the south of Brazil and developed an early interest in the piano, this imposing and grand instrument. But since the beginning of my musical training, I sought originality and authenticity, looking for ways to connect the piano with the audience in a way that is not common in classical music.
At the same time that I sought this differential in music, my life has always been linked to nature, and this relationship is a constant source of inspiration. Joining these two passions was the next step. Today, I incorporate natural elements into organic and expressive performances, and outside the stage, I work on forming partnerships in the areas of preservation, education and development.
Music makes us travel, and for me, the piano is part of that adventure – a constant source of inspiration, innovation and transformation.
The piano is one of the most fascinating instruments for the public, be it for the appearance, sound or complexity of the construction. I don’t want the piano to be an instrument reserved for theatres and concert halls, confined to the great halls and accessible to a few. Following my instinct to innovate and being faithful to my artistic mission, I try to find ways to demystify and democratize this medium and to take the piano from being a mere musical instrument to become a means of social transformation.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Master of Music Performance / Goldsmiths, University of London
- Bachelor’s Degree in Music / UFRGS, Brazil
- Additional training/certificates:
– Cultural Management and Production / STUDIO CLIO, Brazil
– Music Therapy / Nordoff & Robbins Center, England
– Musical Support Method for Neuro-rehabilitation / RGRM, England
– Visual Awareness Training / Royal College of Music, England
– Film & Video Production / Portugal - Concerts, lectures, workshops and tours in England, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Finland, Morocco, the Middle East and others
- Performances in venues such as SESC São Paulo and Sala Cecília Meireles, Museum of Music in Lisbon, National Library of Rabat, National Theatre of Abu Dhabi, London Brunel Museum, The Grosvenor Chapel, Trinity College of Music, Mayfair and Bloomsbury Churches, Deptford Town Hall, Blackheath Hall, Charlton House, Cambridge Festival, Harrogate Festival, Belfast Culture Festival, among others
- Was a pianist for the Live Music Now initiative in London, founded by Yehudi Menuhin, which promotes music for special children, centres for people with physical and mental disabilities
- Worked as a Collaborator Pianist at Department of Contemporary Music at Goldsmiths, University of London
- Was a researcher at CESEM, Center for Sociology and Studies of Musical Aesthetics at Universidade Nova in Lisbon, in the field of contemporary music
- Project Director at Amazonart, a non-profit organization that promotes socio-cultural and educational projects between Brazil and England exchanging activities and concerts in partnership with British institutions
- In 2012, won the Funarte Award for the project “Multiplying Brazilian Music in the Amazon”, which led to the “Roots – A Piano in the Amazon” project (in Portuguese, Raízes – Um Piano na Amazônia)
- Alter do Chão Film Festival, Brazil – Won Best Film Award for the “Roots – A Piano in the Amazon” documentary
- Kalajoki Film Fest / Finland – Won Best Photography Award and Honorable Mention for the “Roots – A Piano in the Amazon” documentary