ARTÍSTAS
> MASTERCLASS > 21-22 Feb.

Américo Martins was born on December 3, 1976, and began his musical studies in Cello at the Escola Profissional Artística do Vale do Ave in the class of Professor José Pereira de Sousa. He was principal cello of the Orquestra Artave and performed concerts in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. He studied with Professors Miguel Rocha, Aaron Choi, Jed Barahal, and Vincent Chuaqui. At ESMAE, he was principal cello of the ESMAE Symphony Orchestra, having performed as soloist with it. He was invited by ESMAE to pay tribute to cellist Guilhermina Suggia in a recital with piano at the Teatro Helena Sá e Costa, where Helena Sá e Costa herself and Teresa Macedo were present.

He has taken masterclasses in France and Switzerland with world-renowned cellists: Lluis Claret, Anatolin Nikitin, Igor Gavritch, Márcio Carneiro, Xavier Gagnepain, Jeroen Reuling, Amit Peled, Maria de Macedo, among others. After playing for the great Russian cellist Anatolin Nikitin, he was invited by him to join his class.

He has been guest cellist with the following orchestras: Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra das Beiras, Orquestra do Algarve, Orquestra Raízes Ibéricas, Orquestra do Norte, Orquestra de Câmara Jean Piaget, and the Orquestra do Festival de Música de Paços de Brandão. He was principal cello of the Orquestra Clássica do Centro, performing a concerto as soloist with it at the Teatro Gil Vicente on Coimbra City Day. He has worked with world-renowned conductors and soloists, performing concerts in Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, and Macau. He was a member of the cello ensembles Guilhermina Suggia, Porto Cello, among others. After a public competition, he was admitted as principal guest instrumentalist of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto – Casa da Música. With this orchestra, he worked with the most prestigious conductors and soloists of today, performing concerts in Spain, France, and Brazil.

He has been a cello professor at the Conservatório de Música de Coimbra, Caldas da Rainha, Escola de Música de Fiães, Conservatório de Música de Barcelos, Companhia da Música de Braga, Escola Profissional de Música de Viana do Castelo, Escola de Música de Pedroso, and at the Academia de Música de Costa Cabral. He is currently a teacher at the Conservatório de Música de Barcelos.