FRANCISCO COUTO
BIOGRAPHY
Francisco Couto began his Piano studies at 5 years old and concluded his high education degree with top marks at 16 from Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa.
He studied with António Rosado and he recently graduated from the Royal College of Music in London with First Class Honours under the guidance of Caterina Grewe.
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He is currently a Scholar for a Master's degree at the same institution with Caterina Grewe, Danny Driver and Alim Beisembayev, supported by the Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation.
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Francisco has been privileged to play for acclaimed musicians such as Boris Giltburg, Vitaly Pisarenko, Ian Jones, Dinara Klinton and Sofya Gulyak as well as participate in festivals locally and internationally where he has met renowned musicians like Till Fellner, Wei-Yi Yang and Jeffrey Swann.
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A particular affection for romantic composers is evident in his performances without ever letting go of great variety of repertoire. Recent works include Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Orquestra Médica de Lisboa, conducted by João Malha, Beethoven’s First Concerto with Orquestra de Cordas de Bendada, conducted by Tiago Oliveira, and other solo compositions such as Debussy’s Estampes, Prokofiev’s Sonata in C minor and Schumann’s Grande Sonata in F minor.
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Francisco is also a tactful and engaging chamber musician, having played Dvorak and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintets as well as Ravel's Piano Trio and Steve Reich's Quartet for two pianos and two vibraphones.
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© Eva Servinsky
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In the past summer, he was resident artist at one of the most influential orchestras in Portugal - Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa - having been praised for his "intimate and splendid" performance. His recent orchestral performances also include alongside Orquestra Sem Fronteiras, conducted by Henrique Constância, which earned him a first prize ex-aequo at Bendada Concerto Competition.
Apart from playing, Francisco is a teacher, an arranger and an avid cinema lover. He has written arrangements for many famous themes from film and television as well as the soundtrack for a short amateur Portuguese film.
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