Marcelo Penido da Silva

Marcelo Penido is a member of a select group of Latin American harpists who graduated from the prestigious Indiana University School of Music in the US (Masters and PhD), under the guidance of harpist Susann McDonald, who is recognized as one of the world’s leading harpists and harp instructors. McDonald’s students are renowned and highly associated with the outstanding technical and interpretive skills which, in recent years, have contributed to the development of the pedal harp in Latin American concert halls – and Marcelo is no exception

Since 2010 he has been harp professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Music (Brazil).

His 30-year harp career has led him to perform in Argentina, Australia, the US, Italy, Japan and Mexico. As an orchestral harpist, he has participated in Brazil’s main orchestras, such as OSESP, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra.

In addition to his career as a classical musician, Marcelo plays the electric harp in a Brazilian folk music band. As a result, his contribution to the expansion of Brazilian music is widely recognized, having incorporated the pedal harp to repertoires not previously explored in his home country.