Maria João Carmo, singer

Was born in Lisbon. She made the decision at a young age to make music her life. She started out as an alto, but her voice has also developed into mezzo and soprano, with a dramatic slant.

Education

At the age of 10 she started her education at the Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa, a 6-year broad conservatory education, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in piano. She continued her music education at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa with the bachelor (1999) and master (2001) Classical Singing.
Subsequently she came to the Netherlands where she obtained the Performing Musician Diploma in Classical Singing in 2003 with Paula de Wit at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
Here she has also worked with Eildert Beeftink (chorus), Philip Curtis (drama), Alexander Olivier (opera interpretation), Jan Slothouwer (opera choir rehearsal), Thérèse de Goede (early music) and Claron McFadden (early music, vocals) She also took lessons and masterclasses with Udo Reinemann, Mark Wildman, Carolyn Watkinson, Jard van Nes, Max van Egmond, Marius van Altena, Jill Feldman, Konrad Richter, Roger Vignoles, Sarah Walker, Noëlle Barker and Roberta Alexander.

Oratorium

As a soloist she has worked with conductors such as Klaas Stok, Dirkjan Horringa, Johan Rooze, Martien van Woerkum, José Doodkorte, Frans Tomassen, Joke Brandsma, Emile Engel, Marc Buijs and Wilbert Staal.
Her repertoire includes pieces not only from the Baroque but also from the Classical and Romantic periods. Her repertoire includes various cantatas by Bach and Telemann, Membra Jesu Nostri (Buxtehude), Samson and Dixit Dominus (Haendel), various Requiems (Mozart, Duruflé and Fauré), Krönungsmesse, Waisenhausmesse (Mozart), Petite Messe Solennelle (Rossini), Gloria of Vivaldi, Miserere of Zelenka and Oratorio de Noël of Saint-Saëns.
Maria João is also regularly invited to sing contemporary music. She sang the Dutch premiere of "Requiem for my friend" by the well-known Polish film composer Zbigniew Preisner in Amsterdam in 2005 under the direction of Joyce Hoohenkerk. In Munich (2004) she sang in the world premiere the soprano part in "Quaresma", a piece by the German composer Klaus Schedl.

Song / Opera

Maria João often performs at her own concerts and / or at festivals or concert series songs from the Romantic era and opera arias with pianists such as Eildert Beeftink, Rik Helmes, Annette Schmoutziger, Peter Meurs, Marc Buijs, Heleen Vegter, among others Her repertoire is broad and includes pieces from all periods in music history, from early music to contemporary music.