ABOUT

Junior Carelli

 

 

Early Life and Education

 

Valdirvaner Carelli Junior, better known as Junior Carelli, was born in São Paulo, Brazil. He began studying piano at the age of 9 with Evaristo Fernandes, keyboardist for the gospel band Voz da Verdade. He studied piano and music theory at Fundação das Artes de São Caetano do Sul and later refined his technique at EM&T (Escola de Música e Tecnologia) under Professor Emílio Mendonça. He also participated in several courses and workshops focused on music, voice, and music production.

 

He holds degrees in Music, Business Administration, Advertising, and Cinema/Broadcasting.

 

By the age of 15, he was already performing professionally on stage and in studio recordings. He played with the Big Band Passaporte Brasil under Maestro Carlos Ferreira, accompanied gospel singer Lydia Moisés, performed in dance orchestras alongside musicians who had worked with Miles Davis, and was a member of the band Koisa Nossa, opening concerts for artists such as Lulu Santos, Zeca Pagodinho, Leonardo, Bruno e Marrone, Família Lima, and Rádio Táxi. He also took part in jazz, instrumental, and Latin pop projects, notably collaborating with pop singer Kelly Moore.

 

 

Recognition and Achievements

 

He was elected Best Keyboardist in Brazil five times by specialized media and received the title of Honorary Citizen of Tulsa (Oklahoma), recognized as an ambassador of Brazilian music by the Jim Halsey Institute of Music Business.

 

He has performed alongside James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Michael Kiske (Helloween/Unisonic), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne) and others, participating in international tours such as Randy Rhoads Remembered and the Axis & Anchors Cruise.

 

Carelli was a member of Shaman, Angra, and is co-founder of the band Noturnall, with which he performed at Rock in Rio 2015 alongside Michael Kiske. Noturnall also featured guest performances by Russell Allen, Mike Orlando, and James LaBrie. He produced, directed, and edited the band’s documentary series Road Life Noturnall, filmed between Nashville and Memphis, featuring five episodes and acoustic music videos.

 

 

Musical Projects and Performances

 

In addition to Noturnall, Carelli leads the acoustic project ANIE (Acoustic Natural Intense Experience) with Fernando Quesada, with tours in Brazil, the United States, and Canada.

 

He was keyboardist for Viva a Noite (TV show Pânico na Band), accompanied percussionist Guga Machado on his instrumental project, produced electronic music with House Rock Melon, recorded with Voz da Verdade, and contributed to Aquiles Priester’s solo album alongside Kevin Moore, Greg Howe, Nili Brosh, Tony MacAlpine, and Vinnie Moore.

 

He is the creator and founder of CONEM (National Congress of Music Entrepreneurship) and EM&T ONLINE.

 

He performed in the musical Freddie Mercury Revisited, derived from Broadway’s We Will Rock You, alongside Alírio Netto (Queen Extravaganza), with shows in New York, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

 

In 2018, he starred in Noturnall Freak Show, a theatrical performance that merged heavy metal with illusionism. He also toured Poland on an instrumental tour with Aquiles Priester, Gustavo Carmo, and Bruno Ladislau, culminating in the recording of a live DVD at the Harman International Experience Center in Los Angeles.

 

 

Audiovisual Production

 

As co-director of Foggy Filmes and 793 Studios, Junior Carelli has directed and produced over 100 music videos, documentaries, and live shows with international reach. His work has appeared on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Google, and Star+.

 

With over 300 million total streams, his career spans cinema, TV, advertising, and branded content.

 

He directed music videos for international bands such as Helloween and Avantasia, and was also the director of the Voz da Verdade TV program on RedeTV.

 

In comedy, he became a reference by directing content for Murilo Couto, Rafinha Bastos, Thiago Ventura, and other top Brazilian stand-up comedians, with his productions reaching tens of millions of views across digital platforms.

 

 

Marketing and Growth Strategy

 

In addition to his artistic career, Junior Carelli has built a strong reputation as a marketing strategist, combining creativity, data, and practical execution to deliver measurable results. His approach focuses on building authentic narratives, high-performing campaigns, and strategic media use to generate engagement, awareness, and conversion.

 

He has led brand repositioning and growth campaigns for major companies in the music and healthcare sectors, including Tagima, The Valve Club, and EM&T – Escola de Música e Tecnologia. His work spans from macro strategy to creative execution, including media planning, social media, SEO, performance marketing, and CRM funnels.

 

At Tagima, he spearheaded the branding and strategic communication of TDT – Tagima Dream Team, turning it into the largest B2B music trade event in Latin America. Under his leadership, the event became a success in audience, sales, and media reception, featuring immersive experiences, audiovisual impact, influencer partnerships, and activations that bridged musicians and retailers. The campaign seamlessly blended aspirational content with direct commercial goals, raising the brand’s visibility both in Brazil and internationally.

 

With The Valve Club, focused on medical education and cardiology, Carelli helped build brand authority across Latin America using inbound marketing, podcasting, and targeted social channels.

 

At EM&T, he led the school’s digital transformation, building a content ecosystem focused on student acquisition and retention, launching online courses, and managing a multi-platform strategy for aspiring musicians. He structured pre-sale-driven enrollment campaigns, free content acquisition flows, and community-based retention strategies.

 

What sets him apart is his ability to integrate branding, content creation, digital performance, and UX from end to end — combining creative thinking with technical execution to deliver scalable, high-impact campaigns.

 

Junior Carelli stands out not only for creating memorable campaigns, but for aligning brand communication with business strategy — connecting audience, product, and purpose in a single motion.

 

 

Entrepreneurship, Investment, and Growth

 

Beyond his artistic and creative work, Junior Carelli is an international entrepreneur, with active operations in Brazil and Canada across technology, healthcare, fitness, retail, and services. His strength lies in merging strategic vision, branding, digital performance, and storytelling to build scalable businesses with real-world impact.

 

As the founder of Foggy Filmes, he developed an agency-driven production company that evolved through various segments of show business, advertising, production, and post-production. The company became a reference for branded content for artists, corporations, and streaming platforms. Continuing this vision in Canada, he joined 793 Studios, a creative hub designed with the same one-stop-shop concept, offering integrated solutions for agencies, producers, and end clients.

 

In 2023, he founded SHE – Structural Heart Expert, a healthtech focused on cardiovascular diagnostics using artificial intelligence. The project combines predictive technology, clinical data, and accessibility to revolutionize heart disease prevention on a global scale. Carelli leads strategic communications, business development, and institutional partnerships, while also serving as co-founder and investor.

 

He is also the founder of LavaSmart, a smart laundromat network that combines automation, brand storytelling, and performance marketing. By applying lean operations and digital engagement, he positioned LavaSmart as a reference in the Brazilian laundry market. The company’s growth follows an innovative limited partnership (SCP) model that enables collaborative expansion.

 

In the fitness sector, he is a strategic investor in Evoque Gym, a high-performance gym chain focused on premium aesthetics, user experience, and modular expansion. Beyond capital, he contributes creative direction, brand positioning, and growth strategy to the businesses he invests in.

 

All of his ventures reflect a long-term vision: to build sustainable ecosystems with purpose, operational efficiency, and international scalability. For Carelli, content, data, technology, and culture are the driving forces behind exponential brand growth.

 

Through a multidisciplinary approach that connects creation, strategy, execution, and scale, Junior Carelli positions himself as a creative entrepreneur and strategic investor, capable of turning ideas into high-impact businesses with measurable brand value.

 

 

Personal Projects

 

Letters to Aria and Melodies to Aria 

 

are heartfelt musical albums composed by Junior Carelli as a tribute to his daughter. Blending cinematic orchestration with emotional storytelling, the works explore themes of love, childhood, and legacy—each note capturing a father’s message to his little girl and to every child who dares to dream.

 

“When my daughter Aria was born, everything changed. Life gained new meaning — emotions felt deeper, small moments became monumental, and the future felt more vivid than ever. Letters to Aria and Melodies to Aria were born from that place of love and transformation.

 

It all began with seven letters I wrote to her, each one holding a life lesson I hope she’ll carry with her. These letters became the emotional backbone of Letters to Aria — blending piano, orchestral elements, and rock influences to create a cinematic soundscape. I collaborated with fellow musicians who are also parents, and together we infused the music with our shared experiences of fatherhood.

 

Throughout the year, I also began asking Aria to hum little melodies during meaningful moments — like learning to ride a bike, skiing for the first time, visiting the zoo, or watching fireflies at night. I took those pure, spontaneous tunes and turned them into the instrumental songs that make up Melodies to Aria.

 

These albums are my way of giving her something timeless — a musical legacy filled with emotion, memory, and meaning. And maybe, along the way, they’ll speak to others too.”

 

His latest solo project, Rock Piano Orchestra, blends his talents as a pianist, vocalist, and conductor to reinterpret metal anthems through orchestral sophistication. The project merges the raw power of rock, the elegance of classical music, and the impact of a full orchestra — resulting in an emotionally rich and cinematic performance.

 

 

Style and Philosophy

 

Junior Carelli is known for combining artistic creativity with executive strategy. He bridges creative and technical teams with a focus on aesthetic excellence, operational efficiency, and purposeful storytelling.

 

He currently lives in Toronto, Canada, where he continues to direct, compose, and produce music, audiovisual content, and advertising campaigns for global clients.

 

 

Core Focus Areas

 

• Creative Direction & Executive Production

• Music / Piano / Keyboard / Composition / Sound Engineering

• Musical & Cinematic Storytelling

• Marketing & Branding Strategy

• Corporate Communication & Internal Engagement

• B2B Solutions

• Entrepreneurship, Business Growth & Strategic Matchmaking
  
  MULTIDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE | BRANDING & GROWTH STRATEGIST | CGMO | 5x BEST KEYBOARD PLAYER IN BRAZIL