Adolfo Mendonca is a Brazilian jazz pianist who has performed in venues in several parts of the United States, Brazil, France, Mexico, Chile and Egypt. He was described by JAZZIZ magazine as a “sprightly player that evokes Chick Corea at his most lyrical.” Mendonca has played and recorded with world-class musicians, such as Randy Brecker, Romero Lubambo, Remy Le Boeuf, Clarice Assad, Dean Sorenson, Matthew Patnode, Mark Tonelli, Tammy Scheffer, among many others. His album Brazilian Childhood reunited musicians from five different continents and features influences of jazz, Brazilian music and progressive rock. He has also received awards from DownBeat magazine in jazz composition (USA) and from Concurso Guiomar Novaes (Brazil) in piano performance.

As an educator, Mendonca served as director of jazz studies at the University of Minnesota, Morris, USA; as music faculty at Knox College, Illinois, USA; and at the Conservatório Municipal de Guarulhos in Brazil. He has also given guest lectures at globally prestigious universities and conservatories in several countries, including the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, North Dakota State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Millikin University, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Universidade Júlio de Mesquita Filho (Unesp), the São Paulo State School of Music, Universidad de Chile and others. Mendonca has also presented research and clinics at several conferences, particularly the Jazz Education Network, the International Society of Jazz Arrangers, the National Association for Music Education, Documenting Jazz and others.