About Pedro Bittencourt

* 1975 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a saxophonist, instructor and researcher dedicated to concert and contemporary music. He performed at numerous festivals in Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba and China. Since 2012 he is a full time Professor at the Winds & Percussion Department at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFRJ) and currently the director of the UFRJ Saxophone Ensemble (Conjunto de Sax da UFRJ). He is also founder, director and saxophonist of the ensemble ABSTRAI, which is dedicated to contemporary chamber music, and he regularly plays with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB) and the Symphony Orchestra of the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro. Bittencourt began studying the saxophone at the age of 10 under the instruction of Mecenas Magno in Rio de Janeiro and later studied saxophone and contemporary chamber music with Marie-Bernadette Charrier (Diplôme d’Etudes Musicales and Diplôme de Perfectionnement) at the Bordeaux National Conservatoire. He received a master’s degree in musicology (DEA Arts et societés actuelles) at University of Bordeaux 3 with a thesis on Iannis Xenakis’ Oresteia. He earned a PhD in Music at the CICM University Paris 8 / MSH Paris Nord on mixed music for saxophone under the supervision of composer Horacio Vaggione, with a PhD scholarship from the Foundation for Science and Technology FCT of the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science. Bittencourt plays Selmer saxophones (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass).
www.pedrobittencourt.info