João Pedro Cunha (violinist)

Was born in Oporto, north of Portugal, and lives in Lagos, the Algarve, since 1984. He began his music studies, specialising in violin, with his father between 1983/90, and took his diploma at the Oporto Conservatory of Music in 1990. He then moved to London, to study with Patricia Calnan, and afterwards to Manchester, where, at the Royal Northern College of Music, in the class of Richard Deakin 1991/95, he graduated with Honours.

As a well known teacher and soloist performer in the Algarve, João has broadened his horizons developing his career not only in Portugal but also abroad, namely in Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, and the Far East (Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia).

He performed as a soloist with the following Orchestras: Oporto Classical Orchestra in the official commemorations of the world music day, Northern Orchestra at the prestigious International Festival of Guimarães, Algarve Orchestra, Solistas del Mediterraneo, Marina Alta Orchestra, Levante International Orchestra, under conductors such as Manuel Ivo Cruz, Ferreira Lobo, Armando Mota, Francisco Estevez and Miguel Cunha.

He has performed with outstanding concert pianists including Adriano Jordão, Céu Camposinhos, João Almeida, Raquel Correia, Monica Konopko. He also played for Portuguese National Radio Broadcasting (RDP2) and for Portuguese National Television Broadcasting (RTP 1).

Music critics and leading performers well known in the field have tipped João as one of the top solo musicians to appear on the Portuguese musical horizon in recent years.

In September of 2000 he returned to Manchester, to the R.N.C.M., for a three years stay, where he achieved the Post-graduate Diploma in Advanced Studies and his Master Degree of Music, at the class of the Israeli Professor Yossi Zivoni (with Distinction in his Master ‘thesis’ about composer Fernando Corrêa de Oliveira); he also attained the demanding ‘Professional Performer Diploma’, being the only Portuguese performer to achieve such merit.

During his stay in the U.K., J. P. Cunha was always a scholar of the Portuguese Ministry of Culture. The scholarship regarding 2000/2003 was due to a first place amongst twenty-five other finalists. Giving special importance to Chamber Music, he has performed with several national and international groups. Gifted with unusual versatility he has taken part in the recording of five CDs of ethnographic and world music, and he has also recorded a solo CD as a guest artist from the Swiss International Time (www.swinti.com).

He has introduced in the Algarve the Suzuki Violin Method, in November 2003. João P. Cunha taught at the Faro Conservatory (1995/2000) and currently teaches at the Lagos Music Academy, since 1996, being also the Pedagogic Head at the Portimão Conservatory.

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