Otávio Assis Brasil (1984), born in São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, showed musical talent from a young age, especially with the accordion. He discovered his passion for the instrument at the age of eight at the Isa Meyer Municipal Conservatory in São Gabriel. Inspired by his grandmother, a piano and accordion teacher, Otávio fully immersed himself in music. He stood out in folk music festivals between 1996 and 1999, winning awards in various cities.
In 2001, Otávio moved to Caxias do Sul to study with Professor Oscar dos Reis, continuing his education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre. He graduated with a degree in Musical Composition in 2005.
From 2009 to 2013, Otávio studied classical accordion at the Higher Conservatory of Music of Aragón in Spain. There, he had the opportunity to learn from the renowned Professor Ángel Luis Castaño, further expanding his musical horizons. In 2014 and 2015, he took an advanced course in contemporary classical music at the Higher School of Music of Catalonia in Barcelona.
Otávio participated in the Perth Accordion Competition in Scotland, where he won awards in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, he continued his studies at the University of Freiburg in Germany, securing a highly competitive spot among 22 candidates from different European countries. His dedication and effort led him to complete his Master’s degree with the highest distinction, “Hervorragende Leistung,” under the guidance of Professors Nenad Ivanovich and Teodoro Anzelotti.
Otávio has performed in theaters, concert halls, and cultural foundations in countries such as Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, England, Portugal, Andorra, and Morocco. He has been invited to special editions of Radio Clásica in Madrid and Radio Catalonia in Barcelona, as well as TV programs on TVCOM, BAND (Brazil), TVE, and Aragón TV (Spain).
Fluent in five languages, Otávio has participated in numerous courses and seminars with notable musicians such as Helmut Lachenmann, Leo Brouwer, Patrick Busseuil, Gustavo Beytelmann, Friedrich Lips, Mika Väyrynen, and Paulo Jorge Ferreira in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Currently, he teaches accordion in Zaragoza, Epila, and Villanueva de Gallego. Along with his students, he has formed a musical education group called the Brotherhood of the Accordion.