Project STEP Announces Élider Dipaula As New Executive Director

BOSTON - Nov. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- Project STEP, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing equity in classical music through comprehensive string education to underrepresented youth, announces its new Executive Director, Élider DiPaula, a Brazilian-born arts leader, educator, composer, and performer whose work centers on equity and excellence in classical music.

Praised by the Chicago Tribune as a "highly personable, exceptionally talented pianist," DiPaula believes in music's power to bridge cultures and spark curiosity. As Executive Director, he will further Project STEP's mission to elevate underrepresented young musicians through rigorous artistic training and personal growth.

"Project STEP doesn't just celebrate excellence; we're redefining who gets to be excellent," said DiPaula. "I'm here to ensure that every young musician, regardless of background, claims their rightful place in the classical music world."

DiPaula joins Project STEP from Project 88 Music Academy where he served as Executive Director and Artistic Director after founding it in 2018 to provide free, high-quality music education to primarily Black, Latine, and immigrant youth. Under his leadership, the academy presented 88 concerts featuring Grammy-winning artists and the first American finalist in the Chopin International Piano Competition, and its students earned state and international honors, including the Gold Medal at the 2025 Sandakan International Piano Competition.

As a producer and performer, DiPaula has curated more than 100 concerts featuring artists from 17 countries, earning coverage in major Chicago publications. A national piano-competition winner at age seven, he later performed with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Goiás, received a national commission from Goiânia Música Hoje, and directed Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale.

DiPaula trained in Brazil and the U.S., holding degrees from the Universidade Federal de Goiás, James Madison University, and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he later served as Advisory Board Chair. He has taught at the renowned Basileu França Music Conservatory in Goiás and premiered works by leading Brazilian and American composers.

His leadership has been recognized with awards from Roosevelt University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts, as well as a 2025 nomination for the American Red Cross Hero of Education Award.

"We are thrilled to welcome Élider as our new Executive Director," said Elisa Pepe, President of the Board of Directors for Project STEP. "Élider embodies all the qualities we would want in a leader for our young musicians but is a talented musician who has dedicated his life to our similar mission of changing the face of classical music by creating opportunities for underrepresented students."

Learn more at: https://www.projectstep.org/