Maria João Pires
Encyclopedia
Maria João Pires is a Portuguese
pianist
.
publicly. Two years later she received Portugal
's top prize for young musicians. In the following years, she studied with Professor Campos Coelho at the Lisbon Conservatory, taking courses in composition, theory, and history of music
. She continued her studies in Germany
, first in the Musikakademie of Munich
with Rosl Schmidt and then in Hanover
with Karl Engel.
. She has since then regularly performed with major orchestra
s throughout the world, interpreting works by Bach
, Beethoven, Schumann
, Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin and many other classical and romantic composers. She appears regularly with major world orchestras in Europe
, America
, Canada
, Israel
and Japan
.
: her many successful recordings include Moonlight, featuring Beethoven sonata
s, Le Voyage Magnifique, the complete Impromptus of Schubert, Nocturnes and other works by Chopin, and Mozart Trios with Augustin Dumay (violin
) and Jian Wang
(cello
).
She won the Prémio Pessoa
in 1989. She also founded the Belgais Centre for Study of the Arts.
Gramophone (magazine) selected her recordings of the Chopin Nocturne
s as the best version available: "I have no hesitation in declaring Maria Joao Pires – a pianist without a trace of narcissism – among the most eloquent master-musicians of our time" (Bryce Morrison).
One of her best recordings is "Mozart: The Piano Sonatas". According to the Penguin Guide: "Maria João Pires is a stylist and a fine Mozartian. She is always refined yet never wanting in classical feeling, and she has a vital imagination. She strikes an ideal balance between poise and expressive sensibility, conveying a sense of spontaneity in everything she does".
- a town near Salvador, Brazil - and continues performing. At the time of her move, she commented that she had suffered much in Portugal due to her Belgais Centre project.
"The pianist Maria João Pires confirmed that she is considering asking for Brazilian nationality in such a way as to have dual nationality, and not to renounce her Portuguese citizenship as was previously stated. Her lawyer sent a note to Lusa, in which he denies the 'supposed will' of Maria João Pires 'to renounce her Portuguese nationality' due to a 'supposed irritation' with the Government."
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Musical studies
Her first recital was at the age of five, and at the age of seven she was already playing Mozart Piano ConcertosMozart piano concertos
The Mozart piano concertos refer to the 27 concertos for piano and orchestra written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. These works, many of which Mozart composed for himself to play in the Vienna concert series of 1784–86, held a special place for him; indeed, Mozart's father apparently interrupted him...
publicly. Two years later she received Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's top prize for young musicians. In the following years, she studied with Professor Campos Coelho at the Lisbon Conservatory, taking courses in composition, theory, and history of music
History of music
Music is found in every known culture, past and present, varying wildly between times and places. Around 50,000 years ago, early modern humans began to disperse from Africa, reaching all the habitable continents...
. She continued her studies in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, first in the Musikakademie of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
with Rosl Schmidt and then in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
with Karl Engel.
Recognition
International fame came in 1970, when she won the Beethoven Bicentennial Competition in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. She has since then regularly performed with major orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s throughout the world, interpreting works by Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
, Beethoven, Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin and many other classical and romantic composers. She appears regularly with major world orchestras in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Recordings
She appears as a solo artist and in chamber musicChamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
: her many successful recordings include Moonlight, featuring Beethoven sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s, Le Voyage Magnifique, the complete Impromptus of Schubert, Nocturnes and other works by Chopin, and Mozart Trios with Augustin Dumay (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) and Jian Wang
Jian Wang (cellist)
Jian Wang began to study the cello with his father when he was four. While a student at the Shanghai Conservatoire, he was featured in the celebrated documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China...
(cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
).
She won the Prémio Pessoa
Prémio Pessoa
The Prémio Pessoa is a Portuguese award instituted in 1987 by the newspaper Expresso and the IT company Unisys. It is granted annually to the person of Portuguese nationality who during this period, and in the course of previous activity, has distinguished him or herself as a figure in scientific,...
in 1989. She also founded the Belgais Centre for Study of the Arts.
Gramophone (magazine) selected her recordings of the Chopin Nocturne
Nocturne
A nocturne is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night...
s as the best version available: "I have no hesitation in declaring Maria Joao Pires – a pianist without a trace of narcissism – among the most eloquent master-musicians of our time" (Bryce Morrison).
One of her best recordings is "Mozart: The Piano Sonatas". According to the Penguin Guide: "Maria João Pires is a stylist and a fine Mozartian. She is always refined yet never wanting in classical feeling, and she has a vital imagination. She strikes an ideal balance between poise and expressive sensibility, conveying a sense of spontaneity in everything she does".
Move to Brazil
In 2006 she moved to Lauro de FreitasLauro de Freitas
Lauro de Freitas is a municipality of 59 km² in the north-east of the state of Bahia, Brasil located at 12° 53' 38" South 38° 19' 37" West.In Lauro de Freitas is located Vilas do Atlântico, a wealthy neighborhood....
- a town near Salvador, Brazil - and continues performing. At the time of her move, she commented that she had suffered much in Portugal due to her Belgais Centre project.
"The pianist Maria João Pires confirmed that she is considering asking for Brazilian nationality in such a way as to have dual nationality, and not to renounce her Portuguese citizenship as was previously stated. Her lawyer sent a note to Lusa, in which he denies the 'supposed will' of Maria João Pires 'to renounce her Portuguese nationality' due to a 'supposed irritation' with the Government."