from The Aveiro Sessions, released October 18, 2018
"Star On the Wall"
Written by Phillip Stark
Copyright Phillip Stark
Arranged & Performed by Gerson Batista

Phillip Stark is an American songwriter based in Madrid, Spain who writes and performs his own songs but also collaborates with other musicians to perform his songs.This version of Phillip Stark's song, "Star On the Wall," was performed by Gerson Batista.

Gerson Batista (1988) is a young composer, illustrator, multi-instrumentalist, poet and writer from Aveiro, Portugal. He has been the most awarded contemporary composer in Portugal for the last two years.

Gerson started his academic path in Civil Engineering at the University of Aveiro. Around that time, he also started composing and debuting his first songs.

In 2007, he enrolled in the Calouste Gulbenkinan Music Conservatory of Aveiro, where he studied music theory, church organ, and vocal techniques. Gerson also studied composition with Pedro Bento, Ricardo Ribeiro and Virgílio Melo.

His first solo album, the "Silent Dreams" was released in 2012, while composing contemporary music and premiering some of his early contemporary pieces.

Two years later, in 2014, he premiered his first written theater piece ("A'Corda e o Espaço Incontactável"), and later on the same year he saw his first book ("Erróticos") being published; was awarded both with the 2nd Prize and the Public Choice Award in the 7th Internacional Composition Competition of Póvoa de Varzim, with his work for instrumental octet “Não Canto para Surdos”.

In 2015 he published his second book “Um Minuto algures – Antes de Antes”, a collection of 66 pieces for piano and narrator.

The following year, Gerson created and produced both his first solo album as Maze Pilgrim, "Maze Wanderer", and the music group "The Troublemaker", releasing "Rascunhos" that would later become their first album, "Sarilhos". In 2016 he also debuted in electronic music, house-music and pop featuring in Ninja Kore, Yuri Martinez and Mixtech albums.

In 2017, Gerson won 1st prize at the 1st National Contest of Composition for Symphonic Band - Município da Lousada, with "Labyrinth of Pan" for symphonic band; was awarded both with the 2nd Prize and the Public Choice Award in the 10th Internacional Composition of Póvoa de Varzim with the work “Voces Hominum” for 8 singers, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.

Later that year, he was awarded 3rd Prize in the 1st Edition of the "Accordion Composition Prize foundation INATEL / Association FOLEFEST "with the piece "Os Suspiros de Dédalo" for solo accordion. Also this year, he was awarded both 1st Prize and “Best Song of the Festival” in the 7th Edition of the Internacional Band Competition "Just Nice Music" with his band, The Troublemaker.

In January 2018, Gerson released his solo album, "Cinzeiro de Flores", for piano, voice and electronics, totally composed, interpreted and produced by him. One month later, "The Troublemaker's first album, "Sarilhos" was released and premiered in Aveiro's main Theatre.

Already this year, Gerson has won two 1st Prizes: th 1st Prize in the National Choir Composition Competition “ Peças Frescas - 5th Edition, with his choir work “Catatónia”; and the 1st Prize in the 2nd Edition of the "Accordion Composition Prize foundation INATEL / Association FOLEFEST "with the work "Descontorções" for flute, accordion, vibraphone, violin, viola and cello.

Throughout his artistic career, Gerson has played in many of the country's major concert halls, both individually and collectively. He currently lives in Aveiro, where he is developing and creating several projects within contemporary music, folk, jazz, composing, writing, illustrating and teaching music.

Website: www.gersonbatista.com