Biography

José Matias is a young Portuguese Violinist, currently presenting himself both as a solo and orchestral musician. He has won several prizes over the years in competitions including 2nd prize in Concurso Vasco Barbosa and 1st prize in Concurso Anatólio Fale. As the winner of the Concerto Competition at RWCMD, José will perform with orchestra in a forthcoming concert in St David’s Hall in Cardiff.

José has performed as an orchestral musician with the Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa. As a passionate orchestral player, he was on the placement scheme with BBC National Orchestra of Wales for two years.

He participated in masterclasses in Portugal and in the United Kingdom with Nicola Benedetti, Odin Rathnam, Anthony Marwood, Stanislav Pronin, Itzhak Rashkovsky, amongst other international soloists. He has worked with conductors such as Leonard Elschenbroich, Osvaldo Ferreira, Pedro Carneiro and Valery Gergiev.

José graduated with a First-Class Honours from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where he studied with Marcia Crayford and Lesley Hatfield. Currently, he is a Master of Arts student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, in the class of Joshua Fisher. His studies are kindly supported by the Musicians’ Company and the Countess of Munster Trust. José performs on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin generously lent to him by the Royal Academy of Music collection.

Musicians’ Company Award: Musicians’ Company Award 2020

Added: Feb 2022

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