Ricardo Ferro is a Venezuelan-Canadian Toronto-based composer and multi-instrumentalist. His composition style and research interests are largely centred in areas of artificial intelligence for composition and performance, controlled aleatoricism and improvisation, rhythmic innovation, and unconventional performance environments. Filtered through this lens, his musical landscapes are often dynamically changing, filled with heavy contrasts and relentlessly driving, asymmetrical rhythms. Recent and upcoming engagements include work with the Bedford Trio, Jameson Platte, Mehrdad Gholami, Moni Simeonov, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra and Contemporary Ensemble, the Calidore String Quartet, Orchestra Breva, Younggun Kim, the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, Concreamus Chamber Choir, and the University of Toronto Opera.
Passionate about contemporary music composition and performance, Ricardo co-founded Green Room Sound Collective, a contemporary music organization dedicated to the creation and performance of new dramatic and multimedia works of music, where he currently acts as artistic director. He has additionally performed as a conductor and pianist with various groups across Canada and the United States, including the University of Toronto Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Atlantic Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble, Orchestra Breva’s Academy Orchestra, and the Victoria Scholars.
Ricardo is currently pursuing a degree in Composition at the University of Toronto, where he studies with Norbert Palej. Previous teachers include Gary Kulesha, Larysa Kuzmenko, and Alexander Rapoport. Ricardo has additionally worked with various composers across North America, including Martin Bresnick, Melinda Wagner, David Ludwig, George Tsontakis, and Reiko Füting. Committed to the field of music education and research himself, Ricardo is the head of composition studies at Sistema Toronto, and has worked for the University of Toronto Faculty of Music History and Theory Department as a guest lecturer and researcher. Recent accomplishments include a Toronto Arts Council Music Project Grant for Fugue State, a chamber opera in one act, a SOCAN Music Creation grant for his multimedia Gallery project in collaboration with Green Room Sound Collective, and participation in the Atlantic Music Festival, where he worked as a composer fellow and a conductor for the festival’s contemporary ensemble.