Percussionist first and foremost but also a dedicated music educator and producer, Salvador Ferreras has collaborated in almost every musical genre on the Canadian music scene. Over the last few years his touring engagements have taken him to the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Taiwan and the United States.

He is Artistic Director of the Listen Up Festival at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and of the very successful Literary Cabaret at the Vancouver International Writer’s Festival. On the academic front, he is Director of the Vancouver Community College School of Music and earned a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of British Columbia in 2005. He was appointed to the British Columbia Arts Council in 2002 and is a regular advisor on cultural policy with various organizations in Canada. In November 2003 he was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame. In May 2005, Sal was awarded the Willan Prize, for outstanding contributions to choral music in British Columbia.

Sal is the former Principal Percussionist of the CBC Radio Orchestra, and tours with his Persian based trio Safa, and the Latin American chamber group The Southern Cross Quintet. His solo and collaborative work is heard regularly on national radio as performer, host and commentator on contemporary classical, traditional, and Latin American music. He has performed on a variety of highly acclaimed recordings ranging from rock to classical music with such artists at the CBC Radio Orchestra, Viveza, Chicago, k.d.lang, Robbie Robertson and Raffi. He has released three solo recordings: To Drive in L.A. (1986), Invisible Minority (1994), Woodcuts (2001) and a well received trio recording with Safa (2002) (See more info on Recordings).

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Bachelor of Music in Performance
University of Windsor 1978
Windsor, Ontario

Master in Music Studies in Performance (not completed due to being hired as full time timpanist Victoria Symphony Orchestra, May 1980)
Wayne State University 1978-1980
Detroit, Michigan

Masters of Music in Ethnomusicology (not completed due to fast-track to PhD programme)
University of British Columbia 2000-2001
Vancouver, B.C.

PhD in Ethnomusicology
University of British Columbia 2005
Vancouver, B.C.

Willan Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Choral Music in BC 2005

BC Entertainment Hall of Fame 2002

Awarded Most Innovative Project by Canadian Conductors Association for production of Choral Riffs 2002

University Graduate Fellowship 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

Leo Awards nominee for “Best Soundtrack-Documentary” 1999

Pacific Music Industry Association Nominee for “Musician of the Year” 1997

Juno Award Nominee for Best Global Recording “Nine Fold Heart” 1995 (co-producer with Rick Kilburn) featuring pianist composer Lee Pui-Ming

Juno Award Nominee for Best Global Recording “Invisible Minority” 1992

C.A.R.A.S. West Coast Music Award for “Classical Musician of the Year” 1987

Sound Recording Grant The Canada Council 1987, 1999

Arts Awards B Grant Canada Council 1986

Canada Tour of Jazz and World Music Festivals 2002
Toronto, Gatineau, Quebec City, Canso, Halifax, Vancouver

Scored soundtrack for Daniel Conrad Dance Film  2001
Prague, Czech Republic

Taiwan International New Music Festival Solo Recital and Workshops 2001
Taipei, Taiwan

International Drum Festival Expo 2000 Hanover, Germany  2000

Festival d’Ete Internationale Quebec City  1999

International Drum Festival Expo 1998 Lisbon, Portugal

Taiwan International Festival  Taipei  1996

Viveza  British Columbia Interior and Toronto 1995

Ballet British Columbia
Judith Marcuse Dance Projects
Jennifer Mascall Dance
Crystal Pite
Rosario Ancer Flamenco Dance Co.
EDAM
Karen Jamieson Dance Co.

Alley, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico