Ricardo A. Coelho de Souza was born in Belém, Brazil. He started his musical studies at the age of six playing the piano. In 1988, he was selected as one of nine percussionists to study in the newly founded percussion program at the Carlos Gomes Conservatory. After receiving a performer’s certificate from that institution, Ricardo was invited to pursue his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia on a full-time scholarship. His composition studies began in Missouri under the supervision of John Cheetham and Thomas McKenney. In 1999, Ricardo was one of the winners of the 47th Annual BMI Student Composer Award Competition with his piano solo Evocação. After graduating with a Master’s degree in performance, he moved to Oklahoma where he earned his D.M.A. at the University of Oklahoma in 2006. He studied percussion with Richard Gipson and composition with Kenneth Fuchs and Marvin Lamb. In Oklahoma, Ricardo was awarded the Ronald J. Dyer Award in percussion, the Michael Hennagin Memorial Scholarship in composition, the Sutton Award in chamber music, and the Gail Boyd de Stwolinski Award for meritorious scholarship and musical performance achievements. Ricardo has been featured at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Texas Christian University Latin American Arts Festival, and The International Music Festival of Pará. He has been commissioned to write works for the TCU Percussion Ensemble and the OU Percussion Orchestra. Ricardo is actively engaged in composing and playing with orchestras, bands, chamber ensembles, and popular music groups. He is a visiting instructor in world music and percussion at the University of Oklahoma.