Pedro Emanuel Pereira

Biography

“It is based on the innovative approaches of his fascinating piano technique that Pedro Emanuel Pereira has already established himself as an exceptional composer”,  combining an “emotional subtleness, a great temperament,” and “a deep vision of the essence of the music he plays.” (António Victorino d’Almeida, Vera Gornostaeva, Naum Grubert)

Considered one of the most prominent Portuguese pianists and composers of his generation, Pedro Emanuel Pereira presents his unique art and worldview.

Highlights of past and upcoming composition projects include the commissioning of a concerto for clarinet and orchestra, to be premiered at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in the USA, conducted by Cristian Maçelaru with Carlos Ferreira on clarinet; the creation of a Requiem in memory of Francisco Sá Carneiro; and the première of “Passarola,” a work for piano, electronics, and sacred geometry attended by the King of Spain, the President of the Portuguese Republic, and the President of the Italian Republic. As a soloist, notable performances include recitals in Barcelona, New York, and Amsterdam, as well as concerts with the Yerevan Opera Orchestra, the Casa da Música do Porto Orchestra, and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. In collaboration with clarinetist Carlos Ferreira, a 2024 Rising Star artist, Pedro Emanuel Pereira will tour major European venues, including the Barbican Centre in London, Philharmonie in Paris, Elbphilharmonie and Laiszhalle in Hamburg, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna, and others.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese revolution of 25 April 1974, Pedro Emanuel Pereira initiated the project “50’25 – Through the Prisons of Portugal,” which will take place in ten prisons. The project involves creating/composing and performing ten original works inspired by poetic texts written by the inmates of each prison.

Pedro Emanuel Pereira’s discography includes three albums: “Russian Journey,” with solo piano works by Prokofiev and Rachmaninov; “Sounds of My Homeland,” exclusively dedicated to his original solo piano works; and “XX-XXI,” recorded with clarinetist Carlos Ferreira. In 2024, the artist will release his next solo piano album, which will include works by Bach, Hindemith, António Victorino d’Almeida, and Pedro Emanuel Pereira.

Alongside his career as a concert pianist and composer, Pedro Emanuel Pereira is conducting academic research at the University of Aveiro, part of the doctoral program in Artistic Creation.

Doctoral Project Title: Delving into the Between: Silence as a Presence in Time and Space

Advisor Alfonso Benetti Abstract In the summer of 2019, I had an epiphanic experience that led me to reflect on the importance of silence in my life. That day, in the Italian town of Portogruaro, I realized that there is something deeper to my existence than piano playing and musical composition. I realized that silence doesn’t just happen when there is no noise. Silence is itself a presence. Through this personal experience, I was able to see that the timelessness of the silence I experienced was closely linked to its spatiality and temporality. By changing my perception of Silence, Space and Time, as well as the relationship between these three, my artistic creation underwent significant changes. This academic work aims to contribute to a new artistic practice and enable new musical listening experiences.

Keywords: Silence; Presence; Time; Space