Giovanni Porfirio

He/Him
Based in
Berlin, Germany
Education & Research
Cultural Production
Music
Composer, Pianist, Improviser
Open to new jobs and projects

bio

Giovanni Porfirio (he/him) is a Brazilian artist whose work explores creating through acoustic instruments and electroacoustic music. He uses timber, layering, microtonality, extended techniques, temporality, and spatiality to shape his pieces, while also exploring themes related to history, philosophy, politics, and the human experience. Additionally, Giovanni developed and applies his own compositional terms, including photo-time signature and atomic harmony, to his work.

He had composed for many ensembles worldwide, including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (USA), Mizzou Symphony Orchestra (USA), Kaizen Piano Trio (USA), Spaceship Ensemble (Netherlands), Trio Girassol (Brazil), and the Orquestra do Theatro São Pedro (Brazil).

Giovanni has attended and had his pieces played in music festivals throughout Brazil, such as the Oficina de Música de Curitiba (2019), the Londrina International Festival (2019), the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival (2019), FIMUCA (2020), and the International Biennial for Electroacoustic Music of São Paulo (2022 and 2024). Internationally, his pieces were performed at the Gaudeamus Festival (2022, Netherlands), Écoles d'Art Américaines de Fontainebleau (2024, France), the St. Petersburg International New Music Festival (2025, Russia), and the Darmstadt Summer Course (2025, Germany).

His work has been recognized by institutions globally, and he received the Sinquefield Composition Prize (2025, USA), Prix de Ravel—Prix du Jury (2024, France), Percussão Brasileira: solo instrument category (2022, Brazil), and Mizzou Professional Development Travel Awards (2025, USA).

Giovanni holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Composition with an emphasis in Electroacoustic Music from the PANaroma Studio at the São Paulo State University (Brazil), a Master's degree in Music Composition at the University of Missouri-Columbia (USA), and he is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Barenboim-Said Akademie (Berlin, Germany).

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Giovana Borges, 2022