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About
"A rare pianist for his great generosity and emotive force, Mr. Dantas is characterized by the intensity and sweetness simultaneously consigned in his interpretations" © Düren Newspaper, Germany
Vasco Dantas, Portuguese pianist born in Porto in 1992, obtained his Bachelor in Music with ‘1st Class Distinction’ at the London Royal College of Music, studying piano with Dmitri Alexeev and Niel Immelman, and conducting with Peter Stark and Natalia Luis-Bassa. He concluded a Master in Performance with highest mark under the guidance of Heribert Koch, at the University of Münster, where he is accepted to the Doctoral study "Konzertexamen".
Vasco has won over 50 prizes in international competitions in Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom (Please see “Awards” section for full list of prizes). Recent prizes include: GianClaudio International Prize (Rome), “Grand Prix” at Valletta International Piano Competition (Malta), “Prix Spécial” at Concours International de Piano SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Morroco), 1st prize at Porto International Competition Santa Cecília, 1st Prize at Estoril Lisbon Music Competition, 3rd Prize at Münster Steinway & Sons Competition, "Golden Merit Medal" from Matosinhos city (Portugal) and the Prize "Fundação Eng. António de Almeida".
In 2019 Vasco will make his Carnegie Hall piano recital debut, in New York. In 2017 Vasco made his Russian debut performing with Kremling Chamber Orchestra at Grand Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.4. In 2016 Vasco made his German orchestra debut performing with both Jülich Sinfonieorchester and Junges Sinfonieorchester Aachen, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.2. In 2015 Vasco made his Asia debut, playing with Hong Kong Symphonia at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall the Franz Liszt Piano Concerto no.1; In 2014 Vasco made his American debut playing with "Orquestra Sinfónica Espírito Santo" in Vitória - Brazil, Shostakovich's Piano Concerto no.2; In 2013 Vasco made his Portuguese orchestra debut with Porto Symphony Orchestra (Casa da Música), performing J.S. Bach's Concerto for 4 Keyboards and Orchestra; In 2011 Vasco made his piano recital debut at “Sala Suggia” of Porto Casa da Música, opening the EDP Piano Cycle 2011.
He has also performed solo with orchestras including Clássica da Madeira, Clássica do Centro, Clássica do Sul, Festival de Música Júnior, Filarmónica Portuguesa, Filarmónica das Beiras, Gulbenkian, Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa, Orquestra do Norte, Orquestra Promenade, Sinfónica de Cascais, Sinfónica Portuguesa, and has worked with well-known conductors, such as, Choi Sown Le, Daniel Cohen, Dinis Sousa, Günter Neuhold, Jan Wierzba, Joshua dos Santos, Martin André, Misha Rachlevsky, Nicholas Kok, Nikolay Lalov, Nuno Coelho, Osvaldo Ferreira, Pedro Carneiro, Pedro Neves, Peter Sauerwein, Rui Pinheiro, Vassily Sinaisky e Victor Hugo Toro.
Vasco performed live for the first time on Portuguese National Television (RTP1) when he was six years old. On the same year he made his first public appearance at the Porto Tram Museum, selected for his virtuosity among the students of the Estrelita Yamaha Music School in Porto where he had started learning the piano at age of 4. In 2000 he was admitted with honours at Porto Music Conservatory, where he studied with Rosgard Lingardson. In 2010 he concluded his studies with the highest mark. Since the age of 7, Vasco also has been studying the violin. He worked with professor José Paulo Jesus. He achieved distinction as a violinist at the Momentum Perpetuum Orchestra directed by the British conductor Martin André, at the “Official Youth Orchestra of Portuguese Music Conservatories” (OJCOM) and as concertmaster at the Lisbon Metropolitan Young Orchestra.
In the area of pedagogy Vasco has a Master’s degree in Music Teaching by Aveiro University, the diploma “Art of Teaching” by London Royal College of Music, has taught privately in London, currently has a limited number of private pupils and is invited to teach in masterclasses and festivals such as: “Piano Island Festival and Forte Musicademy (Singapore), Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (Thailand), “Hands on Piano” (Aveiro University), ‘As Lições dos Jovens Mestres’ (Azores/Sernancelhe). In 2018 he was a jury member of ‘Piano Island International Competition’ (Singapore) and “Concurso Nacional de Piano de Barcelos’ (Portugal) and “Pianisti i Ri – The Young Pianist” (Kosovo).
Vasco is artist director of Algarve Music Series (ex FIMCA) and programmer of Festival Internacional de Jovens Pianistas (Amarante). He has also performed live or been interviewed by The Straits Times, Expressing Music, RTP1, RTP2, Antena 1, Antena 2, Antena 3, Jülich Zeitung, Aachen Zeitung, Jornal de Barueri, Jornal de Vitória, Jornal de Notícias, Jornal de Matosinhos, Jornal Maia Hoje, Revista DaCapo, Canal Q and Porto Canal. He has been invited to record for the Antena 2, ARS Produktion, Galician Radio, MPMP, and KNS Classical: Promenade (2015) and Golden Liszt (2016) which are available online and were broadcasted by Antena 2 (Portugal) and the German radios MDR Klassik and WDR 3.