Pianist Alejandro Avila was born in Asuncion, Paraguay, and began his piano studies at the age of 7. Concluding his conservatory studies in Asuncion, Alejandro was awarded a full scholarship to pursue his BM in piano performance at São Paulo State University, in Brazil, where he studied with renowned Brazilian professors Dr. Cláudio Richerme and Dr. André Rangel. After graduating in São Paulo, Alejandro got a full assistantship position at Central Michigan University, where he worked as a piano instructor and collaborator for choir, instrumentalists, and singers. During these two years, Alejandro pursued his Master of Music degree in piano performance studying with Portuguese pianist Alexandra Mascolo-David. 

 

Alejandro is recipient of several prizes and music awards. Among these are the first prize at Rosa Mistica competition in Curitiba, Brazil when he was 15, the first prize at Momento Musical competition in Asuncion, Paraguay, in 2012, as well as two Silver Medals at the KMTA Honors Competition at the graduate level in 2018 and 2019. Alejandro is a recipient of the Koch Cultural Trust grant for his work in Cortona Sessions for New Music, as well as a Reach Out Kansas grant, for his collaborative work with the Meadowlark Project. Currently, Alejandro is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas and studies with Dr. Michael Kirkendoll. 

 

An enthusiast of chamber music and Latin-American repertoire, Alejandro performs regularly with singers and instrumentalist of the Kansas area. Premiering new works by living composers is one of Alejandro's main endeavors as a contemporary artist. He is a co-founder of the Meadowlark Project, a new music ensemble that brings Kansas-based art songs into new audiences and small communities within the state of Kansas. In his free time, Alejandro enjoys cooking, jogging, and playing keyboard with his Lawrence-KC-based Brazilian band Balacobaco.