Luís Carvalho (1974 - )
Portuguese conductor, composer, and clarinettist, Luís Carvalho is one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. Having performed numerous concerts and recitals around the World, he often premieres his own pieces and others by leading Portuguese and foreign contemporary composers, some of which have been specifically dedicated to him. Carvalho holds a Doctor of Music degree from the University of Aveiro (Portugal), and has been a prizewinner at such important competitions as the «Estoril Interpretation Competition» (2001), the «4th International Póvoa de Varzim Composition Competition» (2009 – for his orchestral work Metamorphoses... hommage à M. C. Escher), and the «1st Francisco Martins Composition Competition» (2017) of the Orquestra Clássica do Centro for Mosaico, another orchestral work. Furthermore, Carvalho came top winner at the «Audition for Young Conductors» held by the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra in 2010, and was a finalist nominee for the Authors Prize 2012 of the Portuguese Authors Society (SPA), for another of his orchestral works – Nise Lacrimosa. In 2013 «Audiência» regional newspaper awards him the Prestige Trophy for his career devoted to music.
As a conductor Carvalho appears with most of the Portuguese leading orchestras, namely the Portuguese Symphony, the Porto National, the Lisbon Metropolitan, the Algarve Orchestra, the Madeira Classical Orchestra, the Beiras Philharmonic, the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra, the Póvoa de Varzim Symphony, the Aveiro University Symphony, the ESART Symphony, the EPMVC Symphony, the Porto Conservatory of Music Symphony, the Espinho Classical, the Portuguese Symphonic Band and the ESML Wind Orchestra (Lisbon). Abroad he appears with groups from Russia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Finland. He is also the founder and artistic/music director of Camerata Nov’Arte (Porto), an ensemble which proposes alternative programs, including interdisciplinary projects with theatre. In 2013 it underwent a very well-received tour to Brazil (ES – Espírito Santo).
Also, a recognized composer, Carvalho’s works have been performed in Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Venezuela and Brazil. His catalogue, mainly published by AvA-editions (Portugal) and Molenaar (Holland), includes works for orchestra, band, chamber music, solos and many arrangements, orchestrations and revisions, most of which derive from commissions by many important Portuguese institutions, groups and individuals/soloists. Within the scope of his doctoral research, Carvalho conceived a «reinvention of the draft for large ensemble» for Gustav Mahler’s last and unfinished Symphony No.10 in F# major, which he himself premiered, conducting Camerata Nov’Arte in June/2014.
A university teacher at the faculty of the Aveiro University (Portugal), Carvalho is featured in nearly two dozen CD’s, either as a clarinettist, conductor or composer, and in labels such as NUMÉRICA, CASA DA MÚSICA, AFINAUDIO PUBLIC-ART, and MOLENAAR.
