Vasco Dantas
“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, as well as at the Doctoral study “Konzertexamen” at the University of Münster.
Vasco is artist director of the Music Series Festivals, including Algarve Music Series, Sezim Music Series and Piano Concerto Festival. He has been awarded over 50 prizes and distinctions in international competitions, including: GianClaudio Chiais International Prize (Rome), Grand Prix at Valletta International Piano Competition (Malta), Prix Spécial at Concours International de Piano SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Morroco), 3rd Prize at Münster Steinway & Sons Piano Competition, Travel-Scholarship to Bayreuther Festspiele 2016 by Richard Wagner Foundation, Golden Medal of Merit (Matosinhos city, Portugal), Fundação Eng. António de Almeida Prize, Best Portuguese Prize (Viseu International Competition), Esther Fisher Prize (2013 best undergraduate of London RCM), Antena 2 Prize (Portuguese National Radio), Henry Wood Trust Prize (2011 & 2012), Casa da Música Prize 2009, and the following 1st Prizes: Porto International Competition Santa Cecília, Estoril Lisbon Competition, Ría de Vigo International Piano Competition, Alto Minho International Piano Competition, Fundao International Piano Competition, the Florinda Santos International Piano Competition, Maestro Ivo Cruz Chamber Music Competition.
In 2022, he made his solo debut at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées (Paris) with the Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa. In 2019 Vasco made his Carnegie Hall piano recital debut, in New York. In 2017 Vasco made his Russian debut performing with Kremlin Chamber Orchestra at Grand Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In 2016 he made his German orchestra debut performing with both Jülich Sinfonieorchester and Junges Sinfonieorchester Aachen. In 2015 he had his Asia debut, playing with Hong Kong Symphonia at City Hall Concert Hall; In 2014 he had his American debut playing with Orquestra Sinfónica Espírito Santo in Vitória – Brazil; In 2013 Vasco made his Portuguese orchestra debut with Porto Symphony Orchestra (Casa da Música); 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, Sem Fronteiras, 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, Martim Sousa Tavares, 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.