Brazilian Cellist, Luis Almeida is the winner of the Olivier Toni Award for his prominence in musical artistry from Universidade de São Paulo, one of the top universities in Latin America, where he received his B.A. in Cello Performance. Described as a versatile musician, Luis is highly sought after for a variety of contexts, including baroque performance and touring with jazz/alternative rock groups. Luis is also the founder of Musical Gym - a project dedicated to helping students to achieve high-level practice - and Cello em Pauta, dedicated to discussing the history and craft of cello performance. He is a director of the renowned Agassiz Chamber Music Festival and creator of the Glimpses of the Future, a competition that happens within the festival. He is currently a doctoral student at McGill University.