In 2013, Ricardo Castro became the first Brazilian to receive the Honorary Membership from the Royal Philharmonic Society. Born in Vitória da Conquista in 1964, his first contact with the piano was at the age of 3. Drawing the attention of Esther Cardoso, a Marguerite Long fellow, despite his youth, he was exceptionally accepted to join the School of Music and Performing Arts of the Federal University of Bahia at only 5 years of age. In 1984 he began his studies in Europe, joining the Conservatory of Music in Geneva in the virtuosity class of Maria Tipo and the conducting class of Arpad Gerecz. He won first prizes at Rahn Contest, in 1985, and Pembaur Contest, in 1986, before graduating from the Geneva Conservatory in 1987 with the “Premier Prix de Virtuosité avec Distinction et Félicitations Du Jury”. That same year he was the ex-aequo winner of the ARD Competition in Munich, which kickstarted his international career. He completed his studies in Paris with Dominique Merlet. In 1993, Castro received the first prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in England, becoming the first Latin American to win the competition since its foundation. He teaches since 1992 at the HEMU of Lausanne in Switzerland. From Septembre 2020 he starts teaching at the prestigious HEM in Geneva. In 2007, invited by the Government of the State of Bahia, Castro created NEOJIBA, a pioneering program in Brazil that has benefited more than 10.000 children, adolescents and young people