José Pedro Ribeiro (b. 1995) is one of the most sought-after Portuguese pianists of his generation. Highlights of the 2021/2022 season included a broadcast concert from the Grand Auditorium of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, performing Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, as well as a tour of the Czech Republic, with performances in Brno, Blansko, and Prague, where he received a warm reception.
His live recording of Fernando Lopes-Graça’s 3rd Sonata (for Antena 2) has received widespread acclaim in Portugal and abroad, praised by renowned artists such as Friederich Edelmann, former principal bassoonist of the Munich Philharmonic: “Beautiful pianism with a vast dynamic range (…) never aggressive,” and international soloist Stephen Hough: “Formidable performance!”
He maintains a strong presence in the Portuguese music scene, with standout moments including a performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (with the Trio Adamastor) and the Lisbon Sinfonietta, conducted by Vasco Azevedo, before an audience of over 50,000 people. Despite the exceptional size of the audience, the performance was warmly received by the press, which praised its “quality” and stated that it “met all expectations.”
In addition to concert appearances, José Pedro Ribeiro also performs in chamber music recitals (primarily with Trio Adamastor) at venues such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Casa da Música, and the Cascais Cultural Center, among others. He has given numerous solo recitals at festivals including the International Music Festival of Póvoa de Varzim and the Estoril Festival, with many of his concerts and recitals broadcast on national radio (Antena 2) and television (RTP).
A native of Vizela, he began his musical studies in his hometown. From 2012 to 2015, he studied in Guimarães with Ingrid Sotolarova, who comes from a pedagogical lineage that traces back to the great Russian teacher Heinrich Neuhaus. Later, in Porto, he briefly studied with Madalena Soveral, herself a student of the French pianist Reine Gianoli (a pupil of Cortot). Until 2019, José Pedro Ribeiro was a student of pianist Miguel Henriques, a disciple of Gleb Axelrod from the Moscow Conservatory. He is currently mentored by Artur Pizarro, heir to a truly exceptional musical lineage that goes back to Liszt and Bülow.
