Emmanuel Berrido (b.1986)

I'm a Dominican-American composer and pianist with a passion for telling stories through sound, having composed and performed music for the concert hall, the radio, or even the dance floor.

My work has been performed by a variety of artists including the JACK Quartet and the Amernet String Quartet, cellists Megan Chartier, and Craig Mehler, violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved, the Illinois Modern Ensemble, and the FIU Wind Ensemble. Recent experiences have included participation at the American Composer's Orchestra EarShot Readings with the Grand Rapids Symphony, the New Music Miami Festival, the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, and the Ball State University Festival of New Music. I have been the recipient of the Louis Smadbeck Composition Prize in Ithaca, NY, for my piece "Bend the Knee" for brass quintet, the Ithaca College Orchestral Composition Competition for my "Danza Ritual" for orchestra, and the 2022 Pittsburgh Composer’s Project by ensemble NAT 28, for my “Footwork” for piano trio.

I have a degree in Music Business (Creative Production) from Miami Dade College, and a B.M. in Music Composition from Florida International University where I studied with composer Orlando Jacinto García. In May of 2018, I completed my Master of Music degree under the mentorship of composers Evis Sammoutis and Jorge Villavicencio Grossmann at Ithaca College, in Upstate New York. Other educational experiences have included mentorship by composers Bernard Rands, Augusta Read Thomas, and Chinary Ung; violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved, and clarinetist Lori Freedman. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Composition and Music Theory at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Eric Moe, Amy Williams, and Mathew Rosenblum.

I proudly serve as staff member for the Valencia International Performing Arts Summer Festival, and the New Music on the Point festival. With an avid enthusiasm for popular music, I also perform as a pianist and music director for Pittsburgh-based Latin American music group GAVAS Beat and am currently conducting research on the stylistic evolution of Dominican Merengue vis-à-vis the influences of European and American culture and music in the second half of the 20^th century in the Dominican Republic.

Aside from a season filled with performances of Latin American music, upcoming projects will feature a new work for Pittsburgh-based ensemble Kamratōn.

When I'm not composing, performing, or practicing, I make websites for other musicians and small businesses, draw, and read non-fiction books about a wide variety of topics, from history and philosophy to communication and language. I am a practitioner of Shotokan Karate under the guidance of sensei Mike Duray at the University of Pittsburgh, where I also serve as the vice president of the Pitt Shotokan Karate club.

Upcoming Engagements