Alda Oliveira has been a very active ISME member for many years. She is one of the first Brazilians to participate in ISME Conferences, introducing the Society for many music educators in Brazil. She holds a Bachelor degree in Piano and Music Education (Brazil), Master’s degree in Composition (USA) and PhD (USA). As pianist, composer and music educator, Alda Oliveira has dedicated a lot of work in the preparation of music teachers in Brazil. In her career as a pianist, she includes many premieres of contemporary avant-garde music. Her compositions include pieces for piano, choir, chamber music, among others, and several songs for music education well known in Brazil and abroad.
Alda was the founder of the Associação Brasileira de Educação Musical – ABEM (The Brazilian Association of Music Education) being its first president. Alda actively participated as chair of Committee of Experts on Arts and Music, at the Brazilian Ministry of Education. She was a co-chair of the ISME Research Commission, and also a Board member of the Society. In Brazil she was a Board member of the Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-graduaçãoem Música – ANPPOM (The Brazilian Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Music). Alda was also the Dean of the School of Music at the Universidade Federal da Bahia (Federal University of Bahia), in Brazil, and Director of the Pracatum School for training professional musicians in Salvador, Bahia.
She has the honorific title of "Housewright Eminent Scholar" from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, USA (2001). She is the author of several works on music education and, currently, her research on teacher training in music is testing the approach named PONTES (BRIDGES) aiming to teach music articulated to the sociocultural context, the level of development and interests of the student. Currently she is a retired Professor of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, but still supervises master and doctoral students. Her writings have motivated students, teachers and researchers, and during her career, undertook a number of research studies, contributing to the development of the music education area in Brazil. Her publications include books and various national and international articles published in journals. Alda’s contribution to music education in Brazil is undeniable and her participation in several national and international forums - including ISME – became an example of commitment and a life dedicated to music education.