Manuel Araujo, piano

Considered one of the most promising Portuguese pianists of his generation, Manuel Araujo was born in Porto (Portugal) in 1983. Having started his musical education at the age of 5, with Norma Graça Silvestre and Felipe Nabuco Silvestre, he continued his education in Codarts, University of Professional Arts Education in Rotterdam, in the class of the pianist Aquiles Delle Vigne, where he graduated with the highest degree (Cum Laude). He still studies with the Argentinean master and at present also follows the Doctorate Degree in Musical Studies in the University of Coimbra. Received enriching musical advices from musicians like Mikhail Voskresensky, Angela Hewitt, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Ronald Brautigam, Gabriel Kwok, Helena Sá e Costa, Sequeira Costa, Luiz de Moura Castro, Emanuel Krasovsky, Gary Hoffman and Choong Mo Kang.

Made his professional debut in Lisbon at the age of 17, after being awarded the first prize by unanimity in the National Prize for Young Pianists “Fundação Rotária Portuguesa”, dedicated to the Portuguese leading pianist and pedagogue Helena Sá e Costa (disciple of Edwin Fischer, Vianna da Motta and Alfred Cortot), who presided the jury.

As a young pianist was awarded 1st prize in several competitions in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Japan and Belgium, namely the Premier Prix in the 89th Concours International Léopold Bellan in Paris, the 34th Yokohama International Piano Concert, San Sebastian International Competition (Spain), Codarts Virtuoso Piano Competition (Netherlands), Primavera Pianistica (Belgium),Mascia Masin and F. Zadra (Italy), Maria Campina (Portugal). Was as well prize-winner in the Interfest-Bitola International Piano Competition (Macedonia), Young Musicians Prize RDP (Portugal), andJeunesses Musicales Portugal. Won Special Prizes of the jury in Vianna da Motta International Piano Competition, Riviera del Conero International Music Competition (Italy) and S. SebastianInternational Competition.

Performed in Portugal, Spain, France, Israel, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Brazil, Austria, Macedonia, Japan and Taiwan.

Venues include Amsterdam’s Schouwburg and Concertgebouw, Hermitage Imperial Theatre and Briantzev Theatre St. Petersburg, Seymour Center in Sydney, S. Clemente Palace in Rio de Janeiro, LucentThe Hague, Philips Zaal Eindhoven, Schouwburg and De Doelen in Rotterdam, S. Luiz Theatre, S. Carlos National Theatre and CCB in Lisbon, Bitola National Theatre, Salla Filarmonica Trento, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Alte Handelsboerse and Mendelssohnhaus in Leipzig, Brussels Gothic Hall of the City Hall, Wiener Zaal of Altes Mozarteum Salzburg, Felicja Blumental Center in Tel Aviv,Jerusalem Theatre, Kawai Omotesando Tokyo or Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center Taipei.

Cooperated with the choreographer Ton Simons and the company Dance Works Rotterdam in the productions Human Figures and Moving Being, performing Well Tempered Clavier Book I of J. S. Bach in a tour that included the most prestigious venues in The Netherlands and lasted 3 seasons.

Was invited to participate in several Festivals, including Festival de Sintra, Openlook St. Petersburg, Sommerakademie Mozarteum Salzburg, Alcobaça Music Festival, Forum Internacional Torrelodones, the 4 Seasons of Vidago, the Euro Music Festival Leipzig, Festa na Baixa CNC, Festival Euro-Mediterraneo Calabria and the Rotterdam Operadagen, where he performed Reminiscences de D. Juan in the Liszt Opera transcriptions marathon (Concertgebouw De Doelen).

Performed with live broadcasting for Euroradio (EBU), Kol Ha Musica IBA (Israel), RDP (Portugal) and for ABC Classic FM (Australia).

As a soloist, performed with the Oporto National Orchestra, Sinfonia Rotterdam, Rotterdam Ensemble, the Macedonian Philharmonic, Orquestra de Espinho, Orquestra do Norte (Portugal) and with theOrquestra Filarmonica di Stato “P. Constantinescu” di Ploiesti (Romania), with the conductors Conrad van Alphen, Claudio Cohen, Anton Nanut, José Ferreira Lobo, Marc Tardue, Manuel Ivo Cruz, Sergio Alapont, Ahmed El Saedi, Roberto Beltran, Roberto Misto and Enrique Bátiz.

Manuel Araújo was Assistant Piano Professor of Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Rotterdam, in Schola Cantorum Paris and was invited to give masterclasses in Tokyo. He is presently Artistic Vice-Director of Academia Internacional de Música “Aquiles Delle Vigne”, in Coimbra, Portugal.