Maria João Pires is one of the most admired pianists of her generation, renowned for the depth, naturalness and sensitivity of her interpretations. Born in Lisbon in 1944, she gave her first public performance at the age of four and studied in Portugal before continuing her training in Germany with teachers including Rosl Schmid and Karl Engel.
Throughout an extraordinary international career, she has performed at the world’s leading concert halls and with some of its most prestigious orchestras and conductors. Her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Schumann are particularly celebrated for their intimate and profoundly human approach to music.
Her extensive discography, recorded primarily for Erato and Deutsche Grammophon, stands among the great pianistic references of recent decades.
Beyond the concert stage, Pires has devoted an important part of her life to exploring the role of art, education and community, developing projects such as the Belgais Centre in Portugal.
Maria João Pires has shared the stage with the Franz Schubert Filharmonia, performing, among other works, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20.
WEBSITE