Carlos Lopes was born in 1995 in Guimarães and began his musical training when he was 6 years old, in Vila das Aves’ Social Centre. From 2007 to 2013 he attended Santo Tirso’s CCM where he had piano classes with Carlos Afonso and Cristina Lima, completing his piano studies with the latter.
After being granted the Academic Merit Award 2012/2013 he was selected to perform the first movement of Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto Nº2 with the ARTAVE orchestra. He also played percussion and piano frequently in this same orchestra under the baton of Luís Machado, André Granjo, Joám Trillo, Emílio de César and Ernst Schelle. He obtained his piano bachelor’s degree in July 2017 at Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo (ESMAE) in Porto, guided by Dr. Constantin Sandu.
He has participated in masterclasses with Jorge Moyano, Luís Filipe Sá, Pedro Burmester, Maria de Souza Guedes, Pascal Rogé, Jean-François Antonioli and Jesús Gómez. In 2016, he began his bachelor’s in composition at ESMAE. In July 2018 he won the 2nd prize “Associação Pró-Música da Póvoa de Varzim” at the 11th edition of the “Póvoa de Varzim’s International Composition Competition” with his string quartet Tragoidia.
Carlos frequently joins the college’s orchestra and music ensembles for the various academy concerts that occur during the year – he has played 1st keyboard in the national premiere of Proverb by Steve Reich at the FBAUP museum, as well as the harpsichord and Hammond organ part in G. Ligeti’s Kammerkonzert, at the THSC in Porto. He has worked under the conducting of Dimitrios Andrikopoulos, José Eduardo Gomes, Javier Viceiro and Raf de Keninck.
He is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in composition at ESMAE under Dr. Dimitrios Andrikopoulos’ supervision.