Abel Pereira
Abel Pereira, one of the most respected Portuguese artists of all time, internationally
renowned, was born in Porto in the 70's. He began his musical studies when he was 10
years old at the Escola da Banda de Música dos STCP at Porto, and since his first
performance as a soloist in Rivoli Teatro Municipal with 11 years of age, he has
developed an intense concert activity throughout Europe, America, Asia , Africa and
Middle East.
He graduated in ESMAE (Porto) where he studied with Bohdan Sebestik, pursuing studies
with Marie-Luise Neunecker in Germany. During his training he studied with Hermann
Baumann, Stefan Dohr, Jeffrey Bryant, Radovan Vlatkovich, the Prague Horn Trio and
the German Horn Ensemble. Was awarded in several national and international
competitions,
including
Leeuwarden
(Netherlands),
Makneukirchen
(Germany),
Concertino Praha (Czech Republic) and First Prize in the PJM-RDP Antena2 (Portugal).
In 1998 he received at the hands of Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bernard Haitink and Prof. Lutz
Kohler the European Master-Prize. He was part of the Orquestra Portuguesa da
Juventude, Orquestra Sinfónica de Jovens Ibero-America, and belonged for 6 years to
the European Community Youth Orchestra, appearing in the most prestigious concert
halls in the world, such as the Royal Albert Hall, Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie, La
Scala di Milano, Cité de la Musique and Conzertgebouw Amsterdam. He has worked
with conductors and soloists such as Carlo Maria Giulini, Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard
Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Vladimir Askenazy, Claudio Abbado, Emanuel Ax, Radu Lupu,
Martha Argerich and Barbara Hendriks.
Among the dozens of disks he has performed as soloist, in chamber music and
orchestra, stand out in 2002 the complete horn concertos by W. A. Mozart with the
Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa (AP Records), in 2005 the urtext version of the
Mozart's 4th horn concerto with the Orquestra Clássica da Madeira (EMI), in 2009 the
Horn Concerto n.1 by R. Strauss with the Stellenbosch Festival Symphony Orchestra, and
with the same orchestra in 2010 the Sinfonia Concertante in Eb K.297b by W. A. Mozart
(SU Productions).
Portugal, Spain, Macau, India, Cape Verde, Brazil, Venezuela, Austria, Switzerland,
Germany, the UK and South Africa are among the countries where Abel Pereira guided
Master-Classes.
He has integrated as first horn the Orquestra do Norte, Orquestra Filarmonia das Beiras
and the Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Remix Ensemble, Orquestra Barroca Casa da
música, Orquestra Gulbenkian, Orquestra sinfónica Portuguesa, Orquestra Simfónica de
Barcelona, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Chamber Orchestra of
Europe and MusicAEterna Orchestra. He was a founding member of ARTZIZ Quintet,
Quinteto de Metais do Porto and the Ensemble Português de Trompas.
During his career he made over 40 concerts as a soloist with several orchestras.
In 2004 he was guest soloist of the 36th International Horn Symposium in Valencia
(Spain), in 2007 was artistic director of the 1st Horn National Congress in Porto. In 2013
was guest soloist of the 45th International Horn Symposium, in Memphis (USA).
Between 2010 and 2012, he was guest principal horn of the London Philharmonic
Orchestra. He is resident artist of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival
(South Africa) and of the International Music Festival SESC Pelotas (Brazil). Abel has
maintained a close connection with the University Unisinos Orchestra and the OSPA
Music School, Porto Alegre (Brazil).
He is professor at the Escola Superior de Musica, Artes e Espetáculo in Porto and Horn
section Chief at the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música.
Obtained in June 2012 the Specialist Statute (PhD) at the Instituto Politécnico do Porto.
Since september 2013 he is guest principal horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker.