University of Minho
Conservatory of Guimaraes
Vasco Silva de Faria (born October 18th 1978) is a Trumpet player, Teacher, Conductor, and Artistic Director.
He was awarded the Master Degree from the University of Minho (Distinction) and currently attends a research course leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Music Performance at the University of Évora and also attends the course leading to Master degree in Music Teaching at Portuguese Catholic University. Prior study includes Graduation in Instrument – Trumpet, at ESMAE, as well as secondary level at Artave (both with 18 ot of 20) as a student of Kevin Wauldron, Stephen Mason (Lisbon) and Pierre Dutot (Bordeaux) and additional advanced trumpet studies with Maurice Andre (Zurich, Switzerland), Eric Aubier and Stephen Mason (Lisbon), Hakan Hardenberg and John Aigi Hurn (Porto), and Hot Brass and Barquisimetal. He participated also in the International Trumpet Guild Conference, with Vincent Penzarella, Adolph Herseth, Pierre Dutot, Konradin Groth, Philip Smith, John Faddis, Wynton Marsalis, among others, promoted by ITG, and held in New York (USA) in 2000.
Vasco Faria began his musical studies in 1988 with is father, Sidónio de Faria and Manuel Silva, having joined the Musical Society of Pevidém the following year under the baton of the conductor Francisco Ribeiro. As a member of student orchestras, he worked at the Artave Symphony Orchestra, Artave Wind Orchestra, and ESMAE’s Sinfonietta Orchestra as well as, as guest musician, at the National Wind Orchestra of the Templars.
He was awarded a scholarship by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation from 1995 to 2000, a merit Diplom by Martins Sarmento Society (1989), as well as Portuguese Radio-Television (RDP) Young Musicians Award in Chamber Music (1994) and Soloist (1999) categories. He is a member of the International Trumpet Guild since 1999.
Teaching experience includes master classes in Guimarães (1998), Ponte de Lima (1999 and 2000), Ruivães (2006 and 2007), Braga (2009 and 2016), Vale de Cambra (2005), Paredes (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013), Viana do Castelo (2010), Paços de Brandão (2011 and 2014), JOBRA (2012), Felgueiras (2014, 2015 and 2016) Darmstadt – Germany (2016) and Guia (2016), Póvoa de Varzim (2017), Poznan – Poland (2017) e Vilar de Paraíso (2017) and Youth Band of North Alentejo in Portalegre (2002 and 2003), as well as permanent teaching positions at Paredes Academy of Music, ARTAVE, EPMVC, EPME and ESMAE.
He is invited as jury at the National Trumpet Competition of Póvoa de Varzim since 2011.
As a professional orchestral player, he collaborated with renowned conductors such as Andris Nelsons, António Saiote, Cesário Costa, Christopher König, Christophe Millet, Emilio Pommarico, Ernst Schelle, Francisco Ribeiro, Hans Martin Rabbeinstein, José Luís Borges Coelho, Marc Tardue, Martin André, Omri Hadari, Victor Matos, namely, as a member of Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra, Musicare Orchestra, Oporto’s Academic Orchestra, Oporto National Orchestra and Remix Baroque Orchestra. He was invited as trumpet soloist by the European Capital of Culture Porto 2001, in the opera "Satyricon" by Bruno Maderna under the direction of the conductor Aldo Brizzi. Since 2007, he is the 1st Trumpet in the Orchestra of the University of Minho.
As a soloist, Vasco Silva de Faria performed widely, namely, in Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, in recitals with piano and organ and the Academic Orchestra of the University of Minho, Artave Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra of the Music Academy Valentim Moreira de Sá, Youth Orchestra Luso-German, Symphonic Band of the University of Minho. He has also performed in Trumpet Duo recitals with trumpeter Luís Granjo, as well in Trumpet Duo with Organ “Trompetissimo Barocco”, with trumpeter Manfred Bockschweiger. In 2015, he as made the world premiere of the work dedicated to him, "Concert for Trumpet and Strings" by the Portuguese composer Sérgio Azevedo.
As a conductor, he leaded internationally renowned soloists such as Pierre Dutot, Vintage Quartet, Bruno Flahou, Thierry Thibault, Luís Pipa, Nuno Cachada, Sandra Azevedo, Iva Barbosa and recorded for Cardoso&Conceição the CD “One Moment in Time" (2001), and for SPL “Wind Band of Pevidém in Concert” (2012) and “Summon the Heroes” (2017).
As Artistic Manager, he serves as Artistic Director of the Wind Band of Pevidém since 2007 and Coelima Choir since 1997, created the Youth Orchestra of Pevidém in 1999, and the the Brass Ensemble of Guimarães and Guimarães Trumpet Ensemble, both in 2000.
In the context of the European Capital of Culture Guimarães 2012 he conducted the Wind Band of Pevidém in the Opening Concert performing with "La Fura dels Baus" and the Foundation Studio Orchestra conducting the Trumpet soloist Jorge Almeida, the narrator Jorge Castro Ribeiro, making the world premiere of the work "Abertura em forma de Pena" by the portuguese composer Telmo Marques.
In 2015 he was awarded the Best Conductor Award at the XVI International Wind Band Competition in Aranda de Duero, Spain and Praise Vote of the City Council of Guimarães and Selho São Jorge (Pevidém).
Vasco Silva de Faria currently teaches and heads the brass departments at Conservatório de Guimaraes and at the University of Minho (Invited Senior Lecturer). He is the Pedagogical Director of the Music Academy Commendator Albano Abreu Coelho Lima, in Pevidém.
Vasco Silva Faria plays in Bach Artisan trumpets.