Pedro Carneiro

Pedro Carneiro is internationally acclaimed as a solo classical percussionist, conductor and composer. His virtuosity, passion, explosive energy, inquiring mind and emotional spontaneity have inspired several leading composers to write for him. He has performed and recorded with many prestigious orchestras around the globe, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and many others. In 2007, he founded the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra (OCP), and three years later, the Portuguese Youth Orchestra (JOP), which soon became a member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras. Both ensembles have toured nationally and internationally and received critical acclaim. Pedro Carneiro is also the founder of various social projects (with disabled musicians and socially disadvantaged children) in the greater Lisbon area and beyond. He is a sought‑after teacher as well as a passionate inventor: he has created many new mallets, sticks, a marimba damper pedal and accessories – some of which are now entering the repertoire and being used by percussionists around the world. After having written concert music, Pedro’s main focus in recent years has been the interaction with other arts: theatre, dance and film – for which he has produced a considerable body of work. Carneiros’s extensive discography includes solos, concertos, chamber music and improvisation.

Photo credit: Patricia Andrade