Nuno Silva

After his studies at the National Conservatory of Theatre in Lisbon (ESTC) and at the London Studio Centre, Nuno Silva embraced a free-lance career that continues to bring together Dance, Singing and Theatre. He was part of prestigious companies: Henri Oguike Dance Company, KNDC, Protein Dance and Grange Park Opera. With HODC he was the Assistant Director as well as being a dancer. With Grange Park Opera he sang in the chorus of "Eliogabalo", directed by David Fielding and he danced in "The Cunning Little Vixen" directed by David Alden. Presently Nuno is touring in Arthur Pitas "Gods Garden" where he sings Fado and dances. Touring includes the Royal Opera House in London. Fado is one of Nuno's main passions in life. He is currently putting together "Fado Can Dance", a series of dance duets and solos inspired by Fado music. In 2008 he participated in the Theatre Festival "Curtas" in Lisbon, remounted Henri Oguikes "Frontline" for the National Ballet of Portugal (CNB), gave Musical Theatre Recitals (songs from West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Cabaret, Lion King and Jesus Christ Superstar) and was a Guest Artist at the Belgrade Dance Festival. Before this he directed his own show "M'Àgua" (with 30 local participants selected from percussion and dance workshops) a dance/theatre show about the legends of the Enchanted Moorish Princesses in Algarve; choreographed the closing ceremony of the "II Percussion Festival of the Algarve": "In C" (music by Terry Riley) played live by the group Drumming. He also directed "O Ritmo das Estações", a large-scale Music and Dance Event in V. R. Sto António with live music played by the Algarve Orchestra (Vivaldis "4 Seasons") with over 130 performers. Throughout his career he has taught dance to professionals, students and beginners (in the UK, Israel, Germany, Portugal, China, Syria, Italy, France, amongst other countries).

(from text by Nuno Silva)

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Pedro Rodrigues

Winner of Artist's International Auditions (New York), Sor Competition (Rome), Young Musicians Award (Lisbon) and prizewinner at Paris, Verona, Valencia, Montelimar, Sernancelhe among other competitions, guitarist Pedro Rodrigues started his musical studies at the age of 5 and the study of classical guitar at 9 with José Mesquita Lopes with whom he completed his course of study with highest honours and as recipient of the Gulbenkian Scholarship. Later, he continued his studies with Alberto Ponce at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, receiving the Diplome Supérieur de Concertiste de Guitare "a l'unanimité avec felicitations" and he has also taken master classes with Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Joaquin Clerch e Darko Petrinjiak. Pedro Rodrigues performed either as soloist, chamber music ensembles or orchestras (Gulbenkian, Filarmonia das Beiras, Algarve's among others) in Europe, America and Africa in prestigious halls like Carnegie's Weill Hall - New York, Salle Cortot - Paris, Ateneo - Madrid, Endler Hall - Cape Town, Centro Cultural de Belém - Lisbon, Gulbenkian Foundation - Lisbon, Casa da Música - Oporto and he is regularly invited to teach masterclasses in Europe and USA. Mr. Rodrigues recorded for RTP, RDP, RTM, SABC, WIPR Broadcasting Companies and for NUMÉRICA, JNS Music and Nuova Venezia recording labels.

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Cesário Costa

Cesário Costa (b. 1970) is one of the most active conductors of his generation in Portugal. He studied in Paris, where he finished his Piano Graduation, and in Germany, where he completed his Degree with the highest grade and Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting at Würzburg Music Academy. In 1997, he won the first prize of 3rd International Competition for Young Conductors organised by Fundação do Oriente. That same year, he received a scholarship from Bayreuth Music Festival. He has been invited to conduct many orchestras in Portugal and others such as the Royal Philharmony Orchestra, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble für Neue Musik (Germany), Arhus Sinfonietta (Denmark), Macedonia Philharmony Orchestra, Rome Philharmony Orchestra, Sudecka Philharmony and Rzeszów Philharmony (Poland), Orquesta de Extremadura (Spain). He has performed in many countries such as Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, England, Italy, Denmark, Macedonia, Malaysia and Brazil, and appeared in several Music Festivals. His repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary, including the world première of more than seventy pieces. He collaborates on a regular bases with some of the most important concerts halls in Portugal. He was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Espinho Classical Orchestra and Algarve Orchestra. He was awarded the medal of cultural merit by Vila Nova de Gaia’s City Hall. He is the Vice-President of the jury of the Young Musicians Prize organised by the RDP-Antena 2. Currently, he’s the President of the Board of Metropolitana/ Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra. He’s also Principal Guest-Conductor of the Algarve Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Promenade Concerts organised by Coliseu do Porto and Principal Conductor of OrchestrUtopica. (adapted from text by Cesário Costa).

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João Antunes

Composer João Antunes was born in 1975 in Lisboa. He began studying music at the Academia de Amadores de Música de Lisboa, where he studied techniques of composition and musical analysis with Pedro Rocha and Eurico Carrapatoso. He graduated in composition in 2006 at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, having studied with Sérgio Azevedo, Luís Tinoco and Christopher Bochmann. He is currently working on his masters thesis in composition at the Universidade de Évora under the guidance of Professor Christopher Bochmann. In 2005, his work Ecos destorcidos was presented in the Música Viva Festival. He participates in seminars in composition driven by Emmanuel Nunes, in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, since 2006. Following these seminars, he wrote Sphinx (2006) and Paisagens Reveladas (December 2008) for the Gulbenkian Orchestra. In 2007 he participated in the I Reading Panel of the Algarve Orchestra, presenting his piece Sopro de Inquietação. This piece was selected for the 2007/2008 season of the Orchestra. He was also com,missioned another piece for two sopranos and orchestra (Minha Partilha de Mim), for the same institution. In 2008, his piece for flute solo Hesitante - Confiante was incorporated as a compulsory piece work for Young Musicians Prize in 2008 (antena 2/RDP). He is currently working on a set of four songs for chorus and piano (Elementos Elementares), commissioned by the Academia de Música de St. Cecilia de Lisboa. João Antunes is currently teaching techniques of composition and musical analysis in the Fundação Musical dos Amigos das Crianças and Conservatório Regional Silva Marques. (adapted from text by João Antunes)

João Antunes' "Minha Partilha de Mim", by Sónia Alcobaça, Raquel Camarinha, Patrícia Quinta, Algarve Orchestra, cond. Cesário Costa(2nd Renaissance of Portuguese Composition project on You Tube):

Nuno Jacinto

Composer Nuno Jacinto was born in Madeira and started his musical education at the age of 7 at the Conservatório de Música da Madeira, in Violin, Piano, Organ and Harp. In 2000 he specialized in Violin in Escola Profissional de Instrumento, which he finished with distinction (18 values). He won the 2nd violin prize on "Education Pedagogics" in Athens, Greece. In 2003, he applied to Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo (ESMAE) at Oporto, where he took his degree in Composition, studying in the classes of João Madureira, Nuno Côrte Real, Dimitris Andrikopoulos, Clarence Barlow, Carlos Guedes and Klaas de Vries. Several of his most recent works have already been presented in Funchal, Oporto, Braga, Aveiro, Lisbon in festivals like “Sound Acoustics”- Zépellin2005 (Barcelona), “Technical Breakdown” (Copenhagen), Black&White Festival (Oporto) and “Corta”- International Festival of Short Movies of Oporto. In 2006, he was awarded with the Scolarship of Merit of IPP, in contribution to his exemplary academic carrier. In 2007, his piece for violin solo “Solo II” integrated as obligatory Portuguese contemporary work in Young Musicians Prize 2007 (Antena 2/RDP). In 2008, his piece for Orchestra “ArRestare” (1st version) was premiered by the Algarve Orchestra and conductor Cesário Costa, during the II Atelier de Leitura para Jovens Compositores. Presently, he is teacher of Music Analysis, Acoustics and Music Technology in Escola Profissional Artística do Vale do Ave (ARTAVE). (adapted from text by Nuno Jacinto)

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Sofia Sousa Rocha

Composer Sofia Sousa Rocha was born in 1986, in Braga. She started studying piano at the age of seven, enrolling four years later at the Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian in Braga. She studied violin with Manuel António Sá. In 2001 she started her first Composition studies with Paulo Bastos at the Conservatory of Braga, where she also studied Electroacoustic. In 2004 she successfully applied to the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (ESML) to complete a First Degree in Composition, graduating in 2008, with a mark of 18 (out of 20). She studied with some of the most well recognized Portuguese composers such as Christopher Bochmann, Luís Tinoco, Carlos Caires and Carlos Marecos, among others. She studied singing with Sandra Medeiros between 2005 and 2008. Currently she is studying with Susana Teixeira. As a student at ESML Sofia Sousa Rocha co-organized various events, including the concerts "Peças Frescas" (Student Composers' Concerts), promoting the youngest Portuguese musicians and composers. She also co-directed the IV and V Music Festivals of the ESML in the S. Luiz Theater. Recent activities include the composition of new pieces commissioned from the Young Musicians Prize, promoted by Antena 2 – Portuguese Radio Broadcast and Alcobaça Music Festival. She has also participated in the II Reading Panel of Algarve Orchestra with “Papagaio sem penas” (2008). Subsequently this piece was selected for the season 08/09. She is currently teaching musical analysis and composition at the Escola de Música do Orfeão de Leiria / Conservatório de Artes. (text by Sofia Sousa Rocha)

Sofia Sousa Rocha's "Homenagem a Berio" (electronics) (2nd Renaissance of Portuguese Composition project on You Tube):

Ana Seara

Born in 1985, composer Ana Seara started studying music at the Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian de Braga, where she attended with distinction the unique Complementar Composition Course taught in Portugal. She was rewarded, for 4 consecutive years, at the Regional Piano Competition held annually in Braga. In 2007 she graduated in Composition at Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa. As a student of that school, she organized projects like "Peças Frescas" - coordinated by Luís Tinoco, in partnership with the S. Luiz Teatro Municipal (Lisbon), new composer's concerts and co-organized and produced the III, IV and V ESML Music Festival. In 2005, her work, Resson [ÂNSIAS] ... was presented in the Música Viva Festival. She competed for the first edition of the International Composition Competition of Póvoa de Varzim, getting an Honorable Mention in the category of chamber music, while, on the following 2 years, at the same competition, she won a 1st and a 2nd prize in the "Music for Orchestra" category and a 2nd prize for chamber music. In 2007, she was commissioned a piece for the Young Musicians Prize, promoted by the Antena 2 radio station, and another by OrchestrUtópica, premiered at Culturgest, in Lisbon. She has also participated in the II Reading Panel of the Algarve Orchestra. Subsequently this piece was selected for the season 08/09. She’s currently working on her masters thesis in composition at the University of Évora under the guidance of Professors Christopher Bochmann and Carlos Caires, and preparing two works commissioned by the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra and the Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa. (adapted from text by Ana Seara)

Excerpt of Ana Seara's "Percance", by pianist Joana Gama (Peças Frescas event):

Joana Carneiro

Joana Carneiro has attracted considerable attention as one of the most outstanding young conductors working today. She currently serves as Assistant Conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, working closely with Esa-Pekka Salonen, and official guest conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra. As a finalist of the prestigious 2002 Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition at Carnegie Hall, she was recognized by the jury for demonstrating a level of potential that holds great promise for her future career. Since then, her profile has grown quickly both in the US and Europe and recent engagements include performances with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the New World Symphony, the Algarve Orchestra, the Mancini Institute Orchestra, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. She served as assistant conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Paris Opera’s premiere of Adriana Mater by Kaija Saariaho. She has also conducted the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the Macau Chamber Orchestra and Beijing Orchestra at the International Musica Festival of Macau, the Portuguese National Symphony Orchestra and the Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 2007-08 season, she made her debut with the Chicago Opera Theater as Assistant Conductor for their production of A Flowering Tree. In 2004, she was decorated by the President of the Portuguese Republic, Mr. Jorge Sampaio, with the Commendation of the Order of the Infante Dom Henrique. (taken and adapted from Joana Carneiro’s webpage)