Biography .
Carlos Damas is internationally recognized as the foremost portuguese violinist of his generation,
a distinguished artist whose dazzling career is reflected in an impressive and widely acclaimed discography.
Critics across the globe have often compared him to legendary masters such as Thomas Zehetmair, Gidon Kremer, and Henryk Szeryng.
He was born in Coimbra on April 8th, the same day as the birth of the great violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), where he began his musical studies at the Coimbra Conservatory at the age of three.
Carlos revealed his extraordinary musical gifts at an early age. By the age of 15, Carlos was already making his solo debut with the Portuguese Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of maestro Joaquim da Silva Pereira.
The resounding success of this performance paved the way for further studies at the prestigious Paris Conservatory with Jacqueline Lefèvre and the legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis.
He also refined his artistry through masterclasses with Dora Shwarzberg, Shlomo Mintz, and Michael Frischenschlager.
At just 19, he gave the acclaimed Paris premiere of Luís de Freitas Branco’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.
Among the many contemporary works in his repertoire is Reflections on a Portuguese Lullaby for violin and orchestra, composed especially for him by Sérgio Azevedo.
As a soloist, Carlos Damas has performed with major orchestras around the world, including the Zagreb Philharmonic, St. Luke’s Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonic, Camerata St. Severin, Camerata da Madeira, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Macau Chamber Orchestra, and the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San José.
He has also appeared in New York under the auspices of UNESCO, including a memorable performance at the Lincoln Center, and was invited as soloist for the concert celebrating UNESCO’s 70th anniversary in Paris.
His international career has taken him to many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls: Salle Gaveau and Salle Cortot (Paris), Teatro D. Pedro V (Macau), UNESCO Grand Auditorium (Paris), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), Teatro S. Luiz (Lisbon), Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisbon), Lee Hysan Concert Hall (Hong Kong), Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg (Ville Louvigny), Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, and Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, among many others. He has been a featured artist at renowned festivals, including the Gaia International Music Festival (Portugal), Ciclo de Intérpretes de Aragón (Spain), Macau Music Festival, Macau Arts Festival, Dias da Música in Belém (Portugal), the Semmering Festival (Austria), Salzburg’s Mozart Festival (Austria), the Eastern Music Festival (USA), and the 7th Arts Festival of the People’s Republic of China.
Carlos holds a PhD in Music Education and Psychology.
His extensive discography includes numerous world premiere recordings of works by leading Portuguese composers, released on labels such as Dux, Brilliant Classics, Naxos, and Et’cetera. Most recently, Carlos Damas completed the monumental project of recording the complete violin sonatas of L. V. Beethoven, further establishing his place among the great interpreters of the violin repertoire.
He performs on a rare 1753 violin crafted in Florence by Giovanni Battista Gabrielli, generously gifted to him by an American admirer. Experts believe this exceptional instrument may once have belonged to the composer Francesco Maria Veracini.
