Philip Pereira

Biography

Phil Pereira has been an active liturgical musician throughout the Diocese of Fall River since the age of 13, sharing the skills he acquired from taking organ lessons since 5 years old. He first began playing at St. John the Baptist, in his hometown of New Bedford, MA.

Phil graduated from Northeastern University in 2001 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics, and focused on work in the accounting field. In 2004, his skill set and another leisure activity combined perfectly when he began working at the local indoor rock climbing gym, “Carabiner’s Indoor Climbing”, becoming their Office Manager in a few years. During this time, Phil also worked as the Music Director at St. Michael’s Parish in Fall River, MA, developing a strong and active youth choir. Under his leadership, St. Michael’s Youth Choir grew in ability and recognition, recorded 3 CD’s, and had the honor of being invited to sing at many Diocesan events. Through some connections, and after being personally invited by then-CEO of the Red Sox, Larry Lucchino, the choir found themselves at Fenway Park, singing both the American and Canadian National Anthems before the Blue Jays vs. Red Sox game on May 11, 2010.

The time at St. Michael’s helped form his experiences with many different genres of liturgical music, and he grew to have a deep appreciation of everything from the Catholic Church’s rich heritage of Gregorian Chant, to the uplifting contemporary music utilizing drums and bass guitar. Over the years, he has led music at many conventions and other special liturgies, which brought him the opportunity of working alongside the likes of Tom Booth, Steve Angrisano, Jesse Manibusan, Fr. Michael Joncas, and Steve Warner.