MIGUEL CARVALHO

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Miguel Carvalho (1997), born in Lisbon (Portugal), started his music studies at 6 years old in Sociedade Filarmónica União e Capricho Olivalense, where he studied music theory and joined the Concert Band as a percussionist. In 2009, he enrolled in the Conservatório Nacional as a pianist, where he completed the 8th and final grade in 2018.

He has been singing in choirs since he was 10 years old. Between 2013 and 2018 he was part of the choir Musaico, an advanced Conservatory choir with whom he participated in recordings and premieres of contemporary pieces and arrangements, such as the CD recording of Eurico Carrapatoso’s Magnificat em Talha Dourada and the Portuguese premiere of Jonathan Dove’s opera The Monster in the Maze. In addition, he took part in several choir festivals and competitions, having won multiple prizes.

Currently, he finished a bachelor degree in Musical Composition at Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (Lisbon’s Superior School of Music), where he studied with João Madureira, Luís Tinoco, António Pinho Vargas and Sérgio Azevedo. He also attended a course in Arranging and Reharmonisation for A Cappella at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, under the direction of James Rose.

Outside of school he has been doing numerous choral projects and recordings with distinguished groups and personalities such as Voces Caelestes, Ensemble MPMP, Gulbenkian Choir, Vitorino and Camané. He currently sings with Coro Ricercare, Nova Era Vocal Ensemble and a mixed barbershop quartet named Contratempo, having voice lessons with renown Portuguese baritone Armando Possante.

As a composer, he has pieces for various formations. His production of choral music stands out, having two published works in Portugal and Germany as well as an Honourable Mention in the 2017 edition of the National Choir Composition Contest Manuel Emílio Porto in the Mixed Choir category, with his piece Amar. His works have been performed by the choirs Musaico and Ricercare, and also by the Chamber Orchestra of Cascais and Oeiras, of which he was the composer in residence during 2020, after having won the 2019 edition of the New Music Contest with his piece Quinteto de Sopros.