Orchestrating dreams, nurturing talents

Where music
transforms futures

In the heart of Brazil's northeastern hinterland, 50 girls are learning violin, viola, and cello — writing an unprecedented chapter in the history of education in Brazil.

Watch the film Discover the project
Watch

Meet the Aldo Parisot Project

Students, teachers, instruments, and the orchestra born in Brazil's northeastern hinterland — in under two minutes.

Voices from the Project

Stories in their own words

Students, teachers, and the music that transforms — straight from the Seridó.

My race: an emotional journey

Violin, viola, cello: discipline for the future

Violin: a passion that spreads positivity

A project that transforms lives: music at school

A project teacher: my journey

Music: transforming children and Brazil

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girls in the String Orchestra

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children reached

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concerts in 2024–2025

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year the project began

About the Institute

Why "Brazilian Shift"?

The name is no accident. "Brazilian Shift" is a cello technique invented by the maestro Aldo Parisot, born in Rio Grande do Norte — an innovation that transformed how the instrument is played around the world.

Just as the technique transformed the cello, the Institute uses music to transform lives. Not merely teaching notes: awakening talents, strengthening values, and expanding horizons in the heart of northeastern Brazil.

"Just as the technique transformed the way the instrument is played, our mission is to transform lives through music."
Aldo Parisot in white tie playing the cello — historic black and white portrait
Aldo Parisot as a boy, seated with his cello — childhood photograph
The Legacy

The name that inspires

Aldo Parisot (1918–2018) was born in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. He became the longest-serving faculty member in the history of Yale University and a professor at the Juilliard School. His students hold positions in the world's leading orchestras and universities.

The Parisot family supports the project that bears his name — bringing back to Rio Grande do Norte the center of musical excellence he always dreamed of building in his homeland.

Professor Emeritus at Yale and Juilliard 1918–2018 — A century of legacy Creator of the "Brazilian Shift" technique
Founder

The visionary behind the project

Fabio Presgrave — Professor, cellist, and founder of the Aldo Parisot Project

Fabio Presgrave

Founder and Mentor of the Aldo Parisot Project · Cultural Advisor to the Institute

Cellist and professor at the UFRN School of Music (EMUFRN), Fabio Presgrave is the visionary behind the Aldo Parisot Project. He conceived the initiative to bring string instrument education to the interior of Rio Grande do Norte, bridging the academic excellence of UFRN with the communities of the Seridó region.

As Associate Director of EMUFRN, Presgrave oversees the academic dimension of the project, ensuring the pedagogical rigor that shapes not only musicians, but citizens. The focus on female leadership and alignment with UN SDG 5 is central to his vision.

"The project aims not only to emphasize music, but the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5 — Gender Equality." Fabio Presgrave, founder of the Aldo Parisot Project
Team

The people behind the Institute

Instituto Brazilian Shift is led by professionals committed to social transformation through music.

Antenor Madruga

Antenor Madruga

President

Marilda Nakane

Marilda Nakane

Vice President and Secretary General

Fabio Presgrave

Fabio Presgrave

Cultural Advisor

Ana Belotto

Ana Belotto

Compliance Advisor

Marcio Garcia

Marcio Garcia

International Advisor

Claudia Chagas

Claudia Chagas

Advisor

Ana Beatriz Presgrave

Ana Beatriz Presgrave

Advisor

Stefânia Lopes

Stefânia Lopes

Fiscal Advisor

The Project

The Aldo Parisot Project

The first-ever violin, viola, and cello education program in the cities of Caicó and Currais Novos, in the Seridó region.

The Aldo Parisot Project is Instituto Brazilian Shift's inaugural initiative. It offers free instruction in violin, viola, and cello to 50 girls aged 10 to 15, selected from public schools in Caicó and Currais Novos — in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

In four years of activity, the project has introduced string instruments to more than a thousand public school children and formed the Orquestra de Cordas Aldo Parisot (Aldo Parisot String Orchestra) — the first all-female string orchestra in the Seridó.

Artistic coordination: Marina Barnabé.

Opening of the Teacher Training Program (Jornada de Formação de Professoras), February 2025

Teacher Training

Music that multiplies — public school teachers participate in training programs that extend the reach of music education beyond the project.

Violin

"The voice that leads"

Viola

"The bridge between treble and bass"

Cello

"The instrument that gave the Institute its name"

Where we work — Seridó Region, RN, Brazil

RIO GRANDE DO NORTE Caicó Currais Novos Jucurutu Pau dos Ferros Cerro Corá Natal Luís Gomes Seridó
The Orchestra

The orchestra that had
never existed

The Orquestra de Cordas Aldo Parisot — Meninas de Caicó (Aldo Parisot String Orchestra — Girls of Caicó) is composed exclusively of the project's students. In 2024 and 2025, the orchestra gave 17 performances across 7 cities in Rio Grande do Norte.

The orchestra opened the 2025 Pedagogical Conference (Jornada Pedagógica) in Caicó before municipal authorities, performed alongside singer Marina Elali, and took part in the Gira Mundo Concert in partnership with the Sibelius Academy of Finland.

"There are no limits to what we, as women, can achieve." @orquestraaldoparisot
Follow the orchestra
Orquestra de Cordas Aldo Parisot on stage at the Onofre Lopes Auditorium, Natal/RN, September 2025
Benefit Recital · Brasília 2024

From the Seridó to the capital

In June 2024, partners and supporters of the Institute gathered in Brasília for a benefit recital — bringing the music of the girls from Caicó to the heart of Brazil's federal capital.

Benefit recital by Instituto Brazilian Shift in Brasília, June 2024 — musicians outdoors with stage lighting Girl playing the violin at the benefit recital in Brasília — emotional close-up with golden lighting

© Caio Marins / Instituto Brazilian Shift

Current News

The project in 2026

Classes continue in full swing in Caicó and Currais Novos. New girls are joining. The orchestra rehearses. The Seridó has music.

Group of students with violins and cellos at the start of classes in Caicó, February 2026 Violin rehearsal in a classroom, Caicó/RN, February 2026 Snack break among students in Currais Novos, 2026 — a lighthearted moment
Performances 2024–2026

Where the music reached

27 performances. 7 cities. An orchestra of girls.

Gira Mundo Concert — EMUFRN and Sibelius Academy partnership, Praça da Catedral de Santana, Caicó/RN
4 April 2025

Gira Mundo Concert

A groundbreaking partnership between EMUFRN and Finland's Sibelius Academy, at the Praça da Catedral de Santana in Caicó.

Marina Elali and the Aldo Parisot Orchestra at the II Circuito Sabores da Serra, Cerro Corá/RN
3 May 2025

Marina Elali and the Aldo Parisot Orchestra

Singer Marina Elali, herself from Rio Grande do Norte, shared the stage with the girls from Caicó at the II Circuito Sabores da Serra.

Orquestra de Cordas Aldo Parisot concert at the Onofre Lopes Auditorium, UFRN School of Music, Natal
13 September 2025

Natal Debut

The orchestra's first performance in the state capital, at the Onofre Lopes Auditorium of the UFRN School of Music.

20 Jul 2024

Concert at the Symphonic Festival (Festival Sinfônico)

Auditório Municipal de Jucurutu, Jucurutu/RN

26 Aug 2024

Concert at the Symphonic Festival (Festival Sinfônico)

Auditório da UERN, Pau dos Ferros/RN

28 Nov 2024

Concert at the Symphonic Festival (Festival Sinfônico)

Colégio Municipal Padre Osvaldo, Luís Gomes/RN

5 Feb 2025

Opening of the 2025 Pedagogical Conference (Jornada Pedagógica)

Auditório CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

4 Apr 2025

Gira Mundo Concert — EMUFRN + Sibelius Academy

Praça da Catedral de Santana, Caicó/RN

1 May 2025

Opening of the Festa de Nossa Senhora de Fátima

Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Caicó/RN

2 May 2025

II Gastronomic and Musical Festival Sabores da Serra (II Circuito Gastronômico e Musical Sabores da Serra)

Igreja de São João Batista, Cerro Corá/RN

3 May 2025

Marina Elali and the Aldo Parisot Orchestra

Palco do Circuito Gastronômico, Cerro Corá/RN

5 Jul 2025

Seridó Seminar on Integral Education (Seminário Seridoense de Educação Integral)

Auditório CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

21 Jul 2025

Pavilhão de Santana — Parisot Quartet (Quarteto Parisot)

Palco Cultural, Caicó/RN

15 Aug 2025

Opening of the 1st Lions District Council (1º Conselho Distrital Lions)

Auditório CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

13 Sep 2025

Orquestra de Cordas Aldo Parisot Concert

Auditório Onofre Lopes, EMUFRN/UFRN, Natal/RN

18 Sep 2025

IV Scientific and Cultural Exhibition (IV Exposição Científica e Cultural)

Escola Municipal Hermann Gmeiner, Caicó/RN

19 Sep 2025

Closing of the Festa de São Miguel Arcanjo

Igreja de São Miguel Arcanjo, Caicó/RN

20 Sep 2025

I Music on Campus (I Música no Campus)

Praça do CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

26 Sep 2025

Educational Concert (Concerto Didático)

Escola Estadual Edmundo Kagerer, Caicó/RN

22 Oct 2025

IV Opening of ESEPAC

Faculdade Católica Santa Teresinha, Caicó/RN

8 Nov 2025

Cuó Festival (Festival Cuó)

Praça do Coreto, Caicó/RN

18 Nov 2025

Opening of the Letramento Negro Program (Black Literacy)

Escola de Ensino em Tempo Integral José Augusto, Caicó/RN

19 Nov 2025

Signing Ceremony for the Technical Cooperation Agreement (RN State Government, Ebserh and UFRN)

Escola Multicampi de Ciências Médicas, Caicó/RN

26 Nov – 18 Dec 2025

Aldo Parisot Concert Season

Caicó/RN

6 Dec 2025

Closing Event of the Medicine and Art Course (Medicina e Arte)

Escola Multicampi de Ciências Médicas, Caicó/RN

11 Dec 2025

Debut Concert of the Aldo Parisot Orchestra

Teatro Ubirajara Galvão, Currais Novos/RN

17 Dec 2025

Aldo Parisot Students' Solo Recital — Caicó Branch

Auditório da Pós-Graduação, UFRN, Caicó/RN

18 Dec 2025

Christmas Concert

Praça da Catedral de Santana, Caicó/RN

28 Dec 2025

Aldo Parisot Masterclass Cycle (cello with Gustavo Tavares)

FELCS/UFRN, Currais Novos and CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

10 Apr 2026

The Beatles in Concert (Aldo Parisot Orchestra)

Auditório do CERES/UFRN, Caicó/RN

11 May 2026

Aldo Parisot Orchestra Performance

Teatro Alberto Maranhão, Natal/RN

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Global Commitment

Music as a global agenda

The Aldo Parisot Project is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Quality Education

Free music education as a tool for holistic development.

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Gender Equality

Female leadership in the hinterland — 50 girls are the pioneers.

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Reduced Inequalities

Access to classical music where it had never reached before.

Partners and Supporters

No orchestra is built alone

Every instrument in the hands of a girl from the Seridó arrived there because someone believed. Every class, every rehearsal, every concert is sustained by a network of people and institutions who understand the transformative power of music. This is the story of those who make the project possible.

Chapter 1 · The Beginning

In 2022, the law firm BTW Madruga Advocacia, based in Brasília, donated the first set of 52 instruments — violins, violas, and cellos — to the Aldo Parisot Project. It was the gesture that made everything possible. For the first time, girls from public schools in Caicó and Currais Novos could hold a bow and feel the vibration of a string.

Chapter 2 · The Academic Foundation

The UFRN School of Music (EMUFRN), under the coordination of Fabio Presgrave, provided the project with its pedagogical backbone. UFRN, through its CERES campus (Center for Higher Education of the Seridó) in Caicó, offered space and infrastructure. Funpec enabled the administrative management. The Programa Sinos, by FUNARTE and UFRJ, and IFRN joined forces. The City of Caicó, through SEMECE, provided student transportation and ensured integration with the municipal public schools.

Chapter 3 · The World Came to the Seridó

In April 2025, the Sibelius Academy of Finland, in partnership with the Elsa Brule Centre for Global Music, crossed the Atlantic to perform alongside the girls from Caicó — at the Gira Mundo Concert, in the Praça da Catedral de Santana. The project born in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte now has bridges to Europe.

Patrons
Zi
BTW Madruga Advocacia
Friends of the Institute
Família Backheuser
B Hotel Brasília B Hotel Brasília
Antonio Garcia Garisto Montes
Embaixatriz Yumi Ng
Maria Angelica Ikeda
Maria Eduarda Zarzur
Maria Ligaya Fujita
Mauro Pereira Pinto Garcia
Reginaldo B. Arcuri
Contributors
Carlos Frederico Braga Martins
Gianluca Cicchiello
Nicolao Dino de Castro e Costa Neto
Institutional Support
EMUFRN EMUFRN
UFRN / CERES
Funpec
FUNARTE
IFRN
Prefeitura de Caicó / SEMECE
Sibelius Academy
Ava Gestão Ava Gestão
TIES Group TIES Group
Values

Our Values

Social Inclusion

Access to classical music as an instrument of development and equal opportunity.

Excellence

Artistic and pedagogical quality in every project, fostering dedication and continuous learning.

Transformation

Music as a catalyst for personal and collective change, strengthening dreams and futures.

Cultural Heritage

Spreading and honoring Brazil's identities and cultural heritage.

Collaboration

Bringing together people, institutions, and companies in a solidarity network for education and culture.

Respect and Empathy

Valuing every child for their unique potential, fostering belonging and dignity.

Support

Ways to support

Two students play the violin under warm light during a performance
Photo: Caio Marins
Brazil's Culture Incentive Law (Lei Rouanet)

Transform lives through music!

The Aldo Parisot Project offers music education to young people in Caicó and Currais Novos, in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte.

Approved by Brazil's Ministry of Culture under article 18 of Law 8,313/1991, the 2027 Annual Plan of the Instituto Brazilian Shift (IBS) is authorized to raise funds. Taxpayers in Brazil can support the project by allocating part of their income tax to the IBS.

Step by step

  1. Check your allocation limit: up to 6% of the tax due for individuals and 4% for companies taxed under the actual-profit regime.
  2. Transfer the amount to the project's official account (details below).
  3. Send the receipt to contato@brazilianshift.org.
  4. The IBS will send you the donation receipt.
  5. Report the allocation in your income tax return, following the Federal Revenue Service's guidance and your accountant's advice.
Project
2027 Annual Plan — Instituto Brazilian Shift
PRONAC
268403
Legal name
Instituto Brazilian Shift
CNPJ
55.399.876/0001-44
Project account
Banco do Brasil (001) · Branch 1004-9 · Checking account 70.391-5
A student of the Aldo Parisot Project holds her violin and smiles
Monthly giving

Become a monthly supporter!

Support the Instituto Brazilian Shift every month and help transform the lives of young musical talents.

Students of the Aldo Parisot Orchestra with their instruments in front of a yellow church
Photo: Cícero Oliveira
One-time gift

Give once

Your gift helps the Instituto Brazilian Shift (IBS) expand music education opportunities for children and young people in Caicó and Currais Novos, in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte.

You can give once, in any amount you wish.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change or cancel my contribution?

Yes. Contact the Institute at contato@brazilianshift.org.

Are monthly giving and Lei Rouanet support the same thing?

No. Monthly giving is a voluntary, direct contribution to the Institute and is not tax-deductible. Through Lei Rouanet, Brazilian taxpayers allocate part of the tax they owe to the approved project, under the applicable legal rules.

Other ways to support

Instrument Donations

Violins, violas, and cellos reaching hands that have never played them.

I want to donate instruments

Corporate Sponsorship

Associate your brand with a transformation that Brazil is already witnessing.

Get in touch
Giving from abroad

Your contribution is important in supporting music education for young people. Choose one of the options below to support Instituto Brazilian Shift:

1 Wise

On Wise, select Brazil as the destination and send the amount in Brazilian reais (BRL) to the Institute’s bank account.

Beneficiary name
INSTITUTO BRAZILIAN SHIFT
CNPJ (Brazilian Tax ID)
55.399.876/0001-44
Bank
Itaú Unibanco — bank code 341
Branch
8090
Account number
98313-4
Account type
Checking account

2 International bank transfer (SWIFT)

Please provide your bank with the following details:

Correspondent bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
SWIFT code
CHASUS33
Beneficiary bank
Itaú Unibanco S.A.
SWIFT code
ITAUBRSP
Final beneficiary
INSTITUTO BRAZILIAN SHIFT
CNPJ (Brazilian Tax ID)
55.399.876/0001-44
Branch
8090
Account number
98313-4
IBAN
BR17 6070 1190 0809 0000 0983 134C 1

After the transfer, please email the receipt to contato@brazilianshift.org so we can record and thank you for your gift. Always check that the beneficiary is Instituto Brazilian Shift, CNPJ 55.399.876/0001-44. This contribution is not tax-deductible in Brazil.

Questions: contato@brazilianshift.org
Newsletter

Follow the journey

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