Brazilian pianist Érico Freire Bezerra is currently pursuing a DMA in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music 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, where he held a Piano Accompanying Assistantship and received the Lela Winegarner Scholarship for international students. 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.

Since the beginning of his DMA program, Érico has actively participated in various music festivals,  including the 2022 Toronto Summer Music Festival, and the 2022 Music on Site.Inc (MOSI), where he served as Music Director for the opera Suor Angelica. He also served as a fellow in the Vocal Collaboration program at the 2023 Aspen Music Festival.

Since 2015, he has served as a staff collaborative pianist at UFRGS. Érico is a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship and currently holds Graduate Assistantships in Studio Accompanying and Orchestral Keyboard at Eastman.