Augusto Pacheco

Classical Guitarist

Pacheco began his guitar studies at the Academia de Música de Vilar do Paraíso (Gaia – Portugal). After concluding the Complementary Course of music at this Academy, he went to ESMAE (Portugal), where he completed his Bachelor degree under Professor José Pina’s class. He studied in Paris, at the National Conservatory in the d’Aubervilliers County, where he obtained a Premier Prix under Professor Alberto Ponce. Pacheco also studied at the École Normale de Musique of Paris with the same professor. Pacheco also studied Historical Performance (Chamber Music) at the Municipal Conservatory Claude Debussy under Professor Ilton Wjunisky, where he performed Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Eneias. Under Professor Paulo Vaz de Carvalho and Maestro José Luís Borges Coelho’s supervision, Pacheco concluded his Masters of Performance at Universidade de Aveiro with a dissertation entitled “Fernando Lopes-Graça’s Guitar Works”. Following his paper, he went on to record a CD with Lopes-Graça’s entire Guitar Chamber Music – Dedilhando Graca (2013).
Also under Professor Paulo Vaz de Carvalho and Professore Jorge Castro Ribeiro, Pacheco was awarded his PhD (Performance) by Universidade de Aveiro, with his paper “Alberto Ponce – La musique avant tout – sonority and fingerings”. He attended masterclasses led by the great musicians such as Robert Brightmore, Leo Brouwer, Abel Carlevaro, Jozef Zsapka, Betho Davezac, David Russell and Roland Dyens. Pacheco is often invited to perform at the most important festivals in Portugal, both as a soloist or as part of a chamber group, and he has performed in France and Russia. He’s also often invited to lead masterclasses and sit in panels for guitar competitions. He has played as a soloist with orchestras such as Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Clássica da Madeira, Esproarte, Filarmónica das Beiras, Orquestra Portuguesa de Guitarras e Bandolins or “Silver Strings” (Russia). He was also a soloist at the II Estagio de Cordas Dedilhadas da Cidade de Braga, where he premiered Leo Brouwer’s Concierto de Tricastin for two Guitars and Guitar Orchestra, conducted by the Cuban composer. He won the 2nd prize at the International Guitar Contest of Tomar (1st Prize not given) and the 3rd prize at the International Guitar Contest of Sernancelhe. His Duo Pourquoi Pas with flautist Raquel Lima has been working thoroughly and they recorded their debut album in 2007, entitled “Pourquoi Pas”. Pacheco is a founding member of the Parnaso Guitar Quartet.He’s also a member of Duo Soledade with the violinist Gaspar Santos. Composers such as Ângela Lopes, Eduardo Patriarca, Fabio Gorodski, Óscar Rodrigues, Nuno Peixoto, Fernando C. Lapa, Ricardo Ribeiro, Ricardo Abreu and Fernando Valente have dedicated him some of their compositions.
Pacheco’s often invited to adjudicate Guitar Competitions, lead Masterclasses and Guitar Orchestra’s Workshops. He founded and conducts the Guitar Orchestra from Academia de Música de Vilar do Paraíso. They participated in the European Festival of Music for Young Musicians of Neerpelt, in Belgium, where his ensemble received 1st Prize Cum Laude in 2002, 2011 and 2015. They have also obtained the 1st Prize at the Gofi – Contest (Bad Neuheim-Frankfurt – Germany) and the Concurso Internacional Cidade do Fundão (2015). A 2004 tour to S. Petersburg (Russia), the 2005 concert at the closing ceremony of the 31st Anniversary of 25 de Abril in Paris and the participation at the 2009 Euro Jugendmusik Festival Offenburg (Germany) are amongst the highlights of this Orchestra. More recently, a New York tour was highlighted with their performance at the Carnegie Hall (2016). They recorded four CD’s: “Cordas Soltas” (2001), “Comntrastes” (2003), “Plaisir” (2005) and “20 Anos Orquestra de Guitarras” (2017). In 2002/2003, Pacheco conducted the Orquestra de Plectro do Porto. He’s guest conductor of the Orquestra Portuguesa de Guitarras e Bandolins. He’s currently teaching at Academia de Música de Vilar do Paraíso, Forum Cultural de Gulpilhares and Instituto Jean-Piajet – Viseu.