Media release from Shorter University:
Shorter University’s Edith Lester Harbin Department of Music is proud to welcome distinguished Fulbright Scholar Dr. Fernando Corvisier for a residency from November 12th –15th, 2025. His visit will include the following events:
- Recital: From Gottschalk to Milhaud: Transatlantic Dialogues in Rio de Janeiro’s Musical Life
Thursday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. - Lecture-Recital: The Sound Universe of Brazilian Composer Almeida Prado
Friday, November 14 at 1:30 p.m. - Piano Masterclass
Friday, November 14 at 2:30 p.m.
All events are located in Brookes Chapel at Shorter University, and they are all open to the public at no charge.
Brazilian pianist Fernando Corvisier began his studies at the Music Academy Lorenzo Fernandez in Rio de Janeiro. In 1982, he received a scholarship from the Brazilian government to attend the École Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris, where he studied with Edson Elias and Germaine Mounier.
From 1985 to 1987, Dr. Corvisier earned a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston under Jacob Maxin. In 1988, he won the IV Eldorado Music Award, one of Brazil’s most prestigious competitions, which led to numerous recital engagements in major concert halls throughout the country. Since then, he has appeared as soloist with Brazil’s leading orchestras and has performed extensively across Brazil, Europe, and the United States.
Invited by pianist Luiz de Moura Castro, he pursued the Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the Hartt School of Music from 1992 to 1994. In 2000, he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Houston, studying with Abbey Simon, Horacio Gutiérrez, and Ruth Tomfohrde. Soon after, he joined the faculty of the University of Rio de Janeiro, and since 2002 he has served as Professor of Piano at the University of São Paulo, where he continues to teach, perform, and research Brazilian piano music.
Dr. Corvisier is a frequent guest at conferences and festivals, presenting lectures on the piano works of Almeida Prado and focusing his research on Brazilian repertoire for piano duet. In Fall 2025, he will serve as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Yale University.