Ricardo Alves Pereira

Classical Guitarist

Ricardo Alves Pereira is a guitarist who leads his audience to imagine stories through his musical narratives for classical guitar. During his concerts, the repertoire is presented with a unique parallel content, guiding the listener to experience a new interpretation of the story his guitar is telling.

He has received several prizes in music competitions and has been invited to give solo concerts, with ensembles, and with orchestra on various international stages in Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Turkey. He travelled through Europe to receive his education from some of the most renowned classical guitar players. His main teachers were Ilda Coelho, Margarita Escarpa, Duo Melis and Zoran Dukic.

Ricardo is also specialised in performing and teaching to children. He has a solo guitar project called “The Guitar Lullaby” in which he plays his own compositions/songs in English for older children (5 – 9). The concert program is adaptable for musical therapy context as well. Together with Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira they developed a classical music concert for toddlers named “Cats, Flowers, and Vanilla Ice-Cream”. He had done his internship for teaching classical guitar in a conservatory in IUSC, Istanbul.

His current indie-classical music projects with which he performs at international stages and festivals are Trio Dilectio (own arragnements of early music), The Wandering Bard (own arrangements of traditional/early English music), CordaSonora Duo (classical music) and ReCordar (fado and traditional Portuguese music)

Ricardo performs on an instrument made by the Spanish guitar luthier, Ana Espinosa.

Videos

You can find recording date and more information about each video by opening them on YouTube

The Myth of Arion
A Musical Narrative

Fantasia sobre motivos de la Traviata
F. Tárrega

La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
C. Debussy

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
Traditional

Lullaby for Ege
Ricardo Alves Pereira

Adagio, BWV 1001
J. S. Bach

Cats, Flowers, and Vanilla Ice-Cream
Presentation video

Olive Seeds
(Rehearsals with children)

Current Repetory

Musical Narratives

For Solo Guitar
Sonorous Story
The Dream World
The Myth of Arion
The Fantastic Journey of Mr.Tarrega
Your Heart’s Desire
The Legnani Model

For Singer and Ensemble
The Wandering Bard
The Lady in Green
In Good Company with King Henry VII

Solo Pieces

Ricardo’s repertory includes compositions from Renaissance Period to 21st century. To see the full list click here.

Concertos

M. Giuliani – Guitar Concerto No. 1 in A
J. Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez
J. Rodrigo – Fantasía para un gentilhombre
A. Vivaldi – Lute Concerto, RV93

Album Recordings

Ciclos, solo classical guitar

Recorded in 2015, “Ciclos”, is Ricardo’s first classical guitar music album, as a result of receiving the first prize on the competition “Premios Mans Futuro”, in À Coruña (Spain).
Ciclos consists of compositons from Tárrega, Regondi, Llobet, Debussy, Sor, Brocá, Dowland, and also a composition from Ricardo himself. The album explores his original concept of musical narratives for classical guitar and expresses various cycles in the life of a person. “In the great intercicle network, the end of a cycle is simply the time when one stops and dazzles the infinite”.

The Wandering Bard, a musical narrative

Recorded in 2018 in CordaSonora studios, together with the group The Wandering Bard. The concept of the album was developed by Ricardo as one of his musical narratives.

Album available on all major music streaming platforms.

Teaching Experience

Ricardo Alves Pereira Guitar Worshop Home of Art Amsterdam

Ricardo has many years of guitar teaching experience. He teached in music schools and conservatories in Portugal (Casa Paroquial, Monte Real), Turkey (IUSC, Istanbul) and The Netherlands (SGR, Amsterdam). He has been invited to teach in guitar festivals and to be jury in competitions. As a freelance guitar teacher he formed, together with other musicians, his own music school CordaSonora, organising student concerts for various instruments. He frequently performs in pedagogic music projects for babies, children and parents such as “The Guitar Lullaby” and “Cats, Flowers and Vanilla Ice-Cream”. He also gives presentations and workshops about his concept of musical narratives for performers.

Education and Awards

He began his music education in Portugal with Ilda Coelho (EMOL, Leiria) and did his bachelor degree with Margarita Escarpa in Spain (CSMV, Vigo), finishing with maximum qualification for his graduation concert. He made a Erasmus Study Exchange Programmes in France (CS, Strasbourg) with Duo Melis, and in Turkey he did his internship for teaching in IUSC, Istanbul. He did his master degree with with Artistic Research Scholarship from GDA Foundation and with Excellence in MusicTalent Grant from The Royal Concervatory of The Hague, The Netherlands. There he studied with Zoran Dukic, and he developed the concept of musical narratives for classical guitar.

He has received the following distinctions academically and in competitions:

1st Prize at the IX. Premios Mans Futuro, À Coruña (Spain) 2014.
1st Prize Ex-Aequo at the VIII. International Guitar Competition, Leiria (Portugal) 2011.
Special Prize “Best Interpretation of Portuguese Music” at the VIII. International Guitar Competition, Leiria (Portugal) 2011.
2nd Prize at II. International Chamber Music Competition, Alcobaça (Portugal) 2011
1st Prize at the Young Talents Contest of Orfeão de Leiria, Leiria (Portugal) 2009
Special Prize “Rui Barral” at the Young Talents Contest of Orfeão de Leiria, Leiria (Portugal) 2009
1st Prize at the II. National Guitar Competition of Orfeão de Leiria, Leiria (Portugal) 2009
Study Awards “Excellence in Music” of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (The Netherlands) 2015, 2016
“Artistic Research Scholarship” of GDA Foundation (Portugal) 2015
“Training Scholarship” from Erasmus Exchange programmes (Turkey) 2014
“Study Scholarship” from Erasmus Exchange programmes (France) 2013
“Axudas Galicia” Scholarship from goverment of Galicia (Spain) 2013