Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista - Davi Martinelli de Lira

Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista

Paulo Costa Trio presents a new series of interviews with Brazilians, Latinos, and people connected with the Brazilian culture who live in Cleveland, Ohio. Our mission is to build a stronger community among Brazilians living in the city, telling their histories, promoting their work, and helping new members to feel welcome in Cleveland. We will post one new interview every week! Every guest will have an opportunity to sing a song with us. We hope you all enjoy it. - Paulo Costa, Felipe Brito, Davi Lira

Interview with Davi Martinelli de Lira

July 25, 2017 | Cleveland, Ohio

Executive Director and Producer: Felipe Brito

Story by Felipe Brito, Paulo Costa, and Davi Lira

Davi Martinelli de Lira is a Brazilian percussionist pursuing his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance from Cleveland State University. Well-known as an international chamber and orchestral musician, he has performed with Southwest Florida Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and other orchestras abroad. Davi is now a former member of Paulo Costa Trio, and we would like to do a final interview with him before he moves to Florida to continue his studies.

Where are you from in Brazil, and why did you come to the United States?

I am from Americana, a city in São Paulo State. I have been studying music since I was twelve years old. After I graduated in percussion from São Paulo University, I decided to apply for a Master’s Degree in the US and one of the schools that I applied to was Cleveland State University with Tom Freer, Assistant Principal Timpani, and Percussion of the Cleveland Orchestra. An excellent teacher. I was accepted in Fall 2014, and I have been living in Cleveland since that time.

Did you think about pursuing a graduate program in Brazil or always wanted to study abroad?

I always wanted to study abroad, in Europe or the United States. After my bachelor's degree at São Paulo University, I worked at Orquestra do Theatro Sao Pedro for three years, which helped me to save money to come here. I decided to apply to several schools after I felt ready, and the United States was my first option as a country.

Did you always play classical music?

I started playing drums when I was eleven years old. After three years, I began to study classical percussion. I always had the privilege to have had excellent teachers. Once I started studying orchestral percussion, I stopped playing drums, even though I like the instrument very much. In orchestral percussion, we have to learn various instruments, which was a key factor to decide to concentrate only on that. Because of that, I applied for a course specialized in classical percussion, but now because of Paulo Costa Trio, I came back to play drums and Brazilian percussion.

Tell us about your teacher, Tom Freer.

Tom Freer is the Assistant Principal Timpani and Percussion of the Cleveland Orchestra. He is a well-known teacher who specialized in preparing his students to win orchestral auditions. His students won several auditions in the United States and abroad.

Could you explain more about the audition process for an orchestra?

Sure, orchestral auditions happen for a musician to become part of an orchestra. The ensemble usually provides a list of music to be executed in the audition. They typically have several rounds; in some cases, more than a hundred musicians compete for one spot in the next round. Only one person stands at the end, winning the job with the symphony. 

Do you play by yourself or with the orchestra during the auditions?

Some auditions require that you play with the ensemble, mostly at the final rounds. However, in the initial rounds, you usually play by yourself.

Can you share a not so pleasant experience that you had during an orchestral concert? (laughs)

I played Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 at a music festival. At the end of the first movement, I had a role in doing with the snare drums for the last two minutes while the orchestra was diminishing the instrumentation. I lost count and stopped to play before the end of the music leaving the conductor to direct the music on silent, without my part. He was just moving his arms without any music being played. (laughs)

You are moving to Florida. What are you going to do there?

I am going to Boca Raton, where I will pursue a Professional Performance Certificate. This program focuses more on performance and less on academics, which means that I will have more rehearsals, instrumental lessons, and fewer music theory classes. 

After three years living in Cleveland, tell us what your experience is here.

I love the tranquility of Cleveland. I lived in São Paulo for six years, and I suffered a lot from stress and traffic. It’s easy to go around Cleveland, and it’s much faster to go to the music school and come back home. Cleveland State University is one of the best music schools in the country for percussion, especially compared to what I had in Brazil. All percussionists need several instruments to practice, so if the school has high-quality instruments, all students benefit from it. Also, I can watch concerts of the Cleveland Orchestra for free every weekend, basically every weekend. Cleveland is very calm, and the quality of life is fantastic. Every service is faster than Brazil, especially in music, with several professional orchestras, famous festivals, and incredible places to study with unbelievable teachers.

Before you joined Paulo Costa Trio, did you play drums professionally?

No, I played in a band in Brazil called Soluarea, but I left before I started making money (laughs). I’m glad I had this experience playing with you; it was an incredible opportunity. I have met many Brazilians and Latinos now, and I went back to play Brazilian percussion and drums. So many people go to our shows, and our friendship will be forever.

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Paulo Costa Trio
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