João Paulo Figueiroa began his formal music training with his father and later with Dr. Mario Ulloa at Universidade Federal da Bahia where he received his Community College Artist Diploma and his Bachelor degree. Dr. Ulloa writes: “Joao Paulo Figueiroa is is in fact one of the greatest talents I have ever taught†and Dr. Eduardo Meirinhos, head of the guitar department at the University of Goiania - Brazil, states: “Joao Paulo possesses a refinement and a musical understanding, in addition to a technique that is idiomatic to the instrument.†At the age of twenty-two, he decided to carry on his studies with Professor Bruce Holzman at Florida State University where he obtained a Masters and a Doctoral Degree in Guitar Performance.
His first concert occurred at the age of 14 and his debut as an orchestral soloist happened few years later in Salvador - Bahia. During his undergraduate career, Mr. Figueiroa gave over one hundred live performances, including Recitals and appearances on TV and Radio shows. He has performed in the several cities in Brazil, Argentina and in the United States; His US appearances include Tallahassee (FL), Miami (FL), Kansas City (MO), Boston (MA), Los Angelis (CA) and Houston (TX). In the summer of 2005 the TV channel TVE - Bahia recorded special show about his life and a live recital exhibited on opened network. He has also performed with different orchestras and directors such as Piero Bastianelli; Paulo Novais and Welligton Gomes.
An educator, João Paulo Figueirôa has held faculty positions in Brazil and in the US. He is in demand as a master class teacher in Brazil and in The United Sates. Currently he is a graduate assistant at Florida State where he was nominated an outstanding teaching assistant in 2006.
Mr. Figueiroa is laureate in more than a dozen guitar competitions. These prizes include the first prize at the Fourth Annual Musicalis National Competition in 2000, Prize winner of the II National Competition of Young Soloists hosted by the Orquestra Sinfonica da Bahia -Brazil – in 2003, National First Prize Winner of MTNA –Music Teacher National Associations in 2004 and the first Prize at Columbus State Guitar Symposium in 2007.
