The Requiem by António Pinho Vargas was commissioned by the Gulbenkian Foundation in 2009, following his proposal to continue the work he began with his oratorio Judas.
Composer Biography
António Pinho Vargas, the composer, has a diverse academic background, holding degrees in History, piano, and a Master's in Composition, and completed a PhD in Sociology of Culture.
Composer's Artistic Vision
António Pinho Vargas views writing a Requiem as engaging with a long history of such works and addressing the universal human experience of birth, life, and death.
Performer Biography
Joana Carneiro, the conductor, is a native of Lisbon and began her musical studies as a violist before pursuing conducting degrees at the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra and Northwestern University.
Composer Biography
António Pinho Vargas, the composer, has released ten jazz albums as a pianist/composer and this is the sixth album dedicated to his classical music.
Performer Biography
Fernando Eldoro, who conducted the premiere of Judas, received scholarships from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to study conducting and served as Assistant Conductor of the Gulbenkian Choir for over 40 years.
Compositional Technique
In his oratorio Judas, António Pinho Vargas chose to use almost exclusively female voices for Jesus's words to emphasize human fragility, due to the impossibility of using soloists for financial reasons.
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