Joao Melo

João Melo is a Brazilian percussionist and educator pursuing a double major in Percussion Performance and Philosophy at Bard College in New York. A first-generation college student from Salvador, Bahia, João began his journey in the music and social project NEOJIBA, where he developed a commitment to music as a tool for empowerment and transformation.

At Bard, João performs in orchestras, chamber ensembles, and solo concerts, teaches through mentorship programs, and works in event production and audiovisual operations. He is known for mixing classical repertoire with Afro-Brazilian traditions and has organized collaborative projects such as rhythm workshops exploring the spiritual and political roots of Ijexá and Samba Reggae.

In 2025, João was selected as a fellow of the OAcademy Orchestra Institute, a program he has been participating in masterclasses, orchestra studies, etc. His story is marked by persistence, creativity, and community-centered vision.

His senior project at Bard connects philosophy, education, and music, exploring the works of Hannah Arendt and Paulo Freire in relation to Salvador’s percussion traditions. João is also developing a community arts initiative that connects youth with elders through rhythm and storytelling, aiming to promote peace and intergenerational responsibility through art.

João Melo is a Brazilian percussionist, educator, and student at Bard College in New York, where he is pursuing a double major in Percussion Performance and Philosophy. A first-generation college student, João came to the U.S. on a full scholarship after his musical journey began in the social program NEOJIBA in Salvador, Bahia. There, he was exposed to the transformative power of music in community contexts, especially within Afro-Brazilian traditions.

At Bard, João has distinguished himself as both a performer and a leader. He plays regularly with the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and Bard Percussion Ensemble, mentors young musicians through the Musical Mentorship Initiative, and works across departments in audiovisual support and stage production. These roles have helped his ability to move between technical precision and creative intuition.

João is passionate about connecting academic study with lived experience. His senior project at Bard brings together Hannah Arendt’s ideas on education with Paulo Freire’s pedagogy and Afro-Brazilian musical practices. He is especially interested in the social, spiritual, and political meaning of Brazilian rhythms, like Ijexá and Samba Reggae, which he has presented in educational workshops that highlight the role in Black cultural resistance.

In 2025, João was accepted into the OAcademy Orchestra Institute, a prestigious international training program that improved his global network and solidified his artistic voice.

João is currently working on a community arts project in Salvador, aimed at bringing together youth and elders through percussion, visual art, and collective storytelling. His dream is to create spaces where art becomes a path toward responsibility, identity, and healing.

João Melo is a Brazilian percussionist, educator, and interdisciplinary thinker currently pursuing a double major in Percussion Performance and Philosophy at Bard College in New York. As a first-generation international student on a full scholarship, João’s work lies at the connection of music, community empowerment, and reflective inquiry.

He began his musical journey in Salvador, Bahia, through the social project NEOJIBA, where he first experienced how music could serve as a powerful tool for social transformation. His early exposure to Afro-Brazilian rhythms, community-based music education, and ensemble work gave him a deep commitment to equity, education, and artistic excellence. João’s style connects classical training with the communal traditions of Afro-Brazilian music.

At Bard, João has cultivated a diverse profile: he performs as an orchestral and chamber musician, teaches through mentorship programs, and works behind the scenes in stage management and audio-visual operations. He has also taken initiative as a cultural connector, organizing collaborative projects such as delivering educational workshops on Brazilian rhythms like Ijexá and Samba Reggae, highlighting their historical and political contexts.

In 2025, João was selected as a fellow of the OAcademy Orchestra Institute, marking a full-circle moment since being rejected from the program in 2019, a setback that indirectly led to his acceptance at Bard through a partner organization. His journey reflects resilience and a commitment to growth, transformation, and building connections across disciplines and cultures.

João’s senior project at Bard explores Hannah Arendt's philosophical insights on education and political life with Brazilian thinkers like Paulo Freire and the cultural knowledge of Salvador’s percussion traditions. His vision is to use art not as a product, but as a process for healing, collective responsibility, and liberation.

Outside of performance and academia, João is invested in creating meaningful connections, whether through cooking meals with friends, mentoring younger students, or using social media as a platform to share his journey authentically. He is currently developing a community-based arts initiative in Salvador aimed at reconnecting youth and elders through percussion, storytelling, and sculpture

Fluent in English and Portuguese, João continues to challenge the boundaries of what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. He dreams of a future where his music not only moves audiences but moves communities toward justice and self-knowledge.