Bio

"A CONSUMATE ARTIST ON THE GUITAR"

DAVID RUSSELL

(GRAMMY AWARD WINNER)

Dr. Eduardo Minozzi Costa 

Concert Guitarist • Educator • Innovator

Dr. Eduardo Minozzi Costa is a Brazilian guitarist of exceptional technical mastery and artistic depth, known for his electrifying performances that immerse audiences in a world of creativity, passion, and spontaneity. With a career that bridges classical and electric guitar, Costa has earned ten first prizes in major international competitions, including:

1. Alhambra International Guitar Competition – Dallas (2010)

2. Indiana International Guitar Competition (2010)

3. Sholin Guitar Competition – Tucson, Arizona (2009)

4. Fifth Saint Joseph International Guitar Competition (2007)

5. Portland International Guitar Competition (2007)

6. IV Beeston Guitar Competition (2006)

7. XV Souza Lima Guitar Competition (2004)

8. VIII Musicalis Guitar Competition (2004)

9. XIV Souza Lima Chamber Music Competition (2003)

10. XIII Rising Project – USP Classical Music Competition (2003)
    
    

Dr. Costa earned his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of Arizona in 2012, completing both his Master’s and Doctoral studies on full scholarship under the mentorship of Thomas Patterson. He previously received his Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance from the University of São Paulo, where he studied under Edelton Gloeden, Paulo Porto Alegre, and Everton Gloeden at the Escola Municipal de Música (EMM)—a period that deeply shaped his artistic identity, interpretive depth, and refined technique.

In his early years of instruction, Dr. Costa studied at the Núcleo de Arte Musical with Rafael Altro and Adilson Oliveira, whose guidance laid the groundwork for his later studies and lifelong dedication to musical excellence.

In 2011, Costa was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City—one of the most prestigious honors in the music world. That same year, he earned third prize at the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) Competition, solidifying his reputation as one of the most accomplished guitarists of his generation.

His performances have taken him to major cities including New York, Dallas, Portland, Houston, Boston, São Paulo, Curitiba, and Brasília. In 2008, he received the Northern Trust/Piper Enrichment Award, an elite distinction granted annually to an outstanding graduate student in the performing arts. This award enabled him to attend the Koblenz Guitar Festival in Germany, where he became the first Brazilian finalist among an international field of eighty competitors.

Beyond the concert stage, Dr. Costa has made substantial contributions to the guitar community. He served as Outreach Director (2009) and later Artistic Director (2010) of the Tucson Guitar Society (TGS). A D’Addario-endorsed artist since 2010, he was also chosen to record a historical CD for the University of Arizona Museum of Art’s Rare Guitars Exhibition, featuring instruments from the early 1900s.

In 2011, he created Pathways to Guitar Excellence ©, an innovative system sponsored by the Medici Foundation, designed to elevate both the technical and artistic dimensions of guitar performance. Dr. Donald L. Hamann praised the project for its groundbreaking approach to integrating musicianship with personal growth.

Today, Dr. Costa continues to shape the future of music education through his revolutionary digital platform, My Practice Canvas — an intelligent, multimedia learning environment where technology and artistry converge. The platform allows students to upload their performances and receive personalized, interactive feedback that combines annotated sheet music, synchronized video demonstrations, slow-motion and looping tools, and strategy notes. Every detail—down to the click of a note—is designed to help students practice with clarity, precision, and freedom.

While deeply rooted in classical tradition, Dr. Costa’s versatility extends to electric guitar, where his expressive tone and rhythmic flair blend elements of Latin jazz, bossa nova, progressive rock and contemporary fusion. His performances, teaching, and innovations—culminating in My Practice Canvas—continue to inspire musicians around the world to reach new levels of mastery and artistic expression.