(b. 25 December 1960, Lisbon).
Portuguese composer of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere; he is also active as a guitarist.
Mr. Mesquita Lopes initially studied guitar with Paulo Valente Pereira at the Academia de Amadores de Música in Lisbon, where he held a scholarship from the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian from 1984–86 and where he graduated with distinction in 1987. He later completed his certificate of guitar instruction with Dirk De Hertogh at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa in 1999–2000. He studied composition with Christopher Bochmann, Juan Carlos Buonacorso, Constança Capdeville, João Pedro Oliveira, Roberto Pérez, and António Sousa Dias at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa from 1988–93, where he earned his bachelor's degree and where he later studied composition with Sérgio Azevedo, Nuno Bettencourt and Christopher Bochmann from 2001–03 and received his master's degree. He has studied at the Universidade de Aveiro and the Universidade Nova in Lisbon in absentia since 2008 and is there working on his PhD with the thesis A Música Contemporânea Portuguesa para Guitarra no Período Aureo de 1983 a 2008, on a scholarship from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia of the government of Portugal. In addition, he attended five seminars in composition with Emmanuel Nunes from 1989–98.
Among his honours are Primeiro Prémio in the competition of the organisation Juventude Musical Portuguesa in Lisbon (1986, for Três Poemas de Mário Dionísio), Segundo Prémio in the competition Joly Braga-Santos of the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (1995, for Passeios da Cidade) and Primeiro Prémio in the competition for music for guitar from Portugal and Spain Ciudad de Badajoz (2006, for Estudo con Sequenza). His music has been performed in Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK.
As a guitarist, he has performed music from all eras. He performed as a duo with the guitarist Paulo Amorim from 1980–86 and as a member of the Trio de Guitarras de Lisboa from 1989–2000 and the Musicus Ensemble in Lisbon from 1999–2001. He has performed with the Trio Música Viva since 2003 and the sextet Ensemble Instrumental do Orfeão de Leiria since 2005.
He is also active in other positions. He has served as director of the Ensemble de Guitarras do CMDD in Póvoa de Santo Adrião since 1998, the Ensemble de Guitarras do Orfeão de Leiria since 2003 and the Pro Guitar Ensemble in Leiria since 2007. Moreover, he has served as artistic director and executive director of the Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Leiria since 2008.
He taught chamber music and guitar at the Conservatório de Música de Sintra from 1982–85, the Conservatório Regional de Coimbra from 1987–89 and the Escola de Música Nossa Senhora do Cabo in Linda-a-Velha in 1994–95. He has taught guitar at the Academia de Amadores de Música since 1985 and taught analysis and sight-reading for guitarists there from 1994–98. He also taught chamber music and guitar at the Orfeão de Leiria Conservatório de Artes from 1989–95 and has taught the same subjects there since 2003. He has taught chamber music and guitar at the Conservatório de Música D. Dinis in Póvoa de Santo Adrião since 1993 and has served as a member of its education council since 1995.
His primary publisher is AvA Musical Editions, but the Ayuntamiento de Badajoz/Promúsica Badajoz is the publisher of some of his music for guitar.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS (note that publishers other than AvA Musical Editions and the Ayuntamiento de Badajoz/Promúsica Badajoz are mentioned in parentheses after dates of composition)
STAGE:
O Que Eu Quero Ser (3 ballets for children, scenario by José Jorge Letria, choreography by Ana Manzoni, Catarina Moreira), 2005 (its three sections may be performed separately: O Professor, youth dance troupe, 4 or more guitars [with conductor ad libitum] [also concert version for 4 or more guitars (with conductor ad libitum)]; O Futebolista, youth dance troupe, 12 or more improvisational guitars [all + percussion] [with conductor (+ whistle)] [also concert version for 12 or more improvisational guitars (all + percussion) (with conductor [+ whistle])]; O Bombeiro, youth dance troupe, clarinet, alto saxophone [also concert version for clarinet, alto saxophone])
ORCHESTRAL:
Passeios da Cidade (text by Teresa Paula Ferreira), 8 or more mixed voices, 2 glockenspiels (both + percussion), 4 ensembles (flute, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trombone; flute, oboe, bass clarinet, French horn, trumpet; guitar, 2 or more violins, 1 or more violas, 1 or more cellos; guitar, 2 or more violins, 1 or more violas, 1 or more double basses), 1994–95
Ecos da Eternidade, 8/16/30–60 guitars, 1999
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Homage to Leo Brouwer), guitar, small orchestra (piccolo [+ 2 woodblocks], flute [+ rainstick], clarinet [+ 2 bongos], French horn [+ maracas, tambourine], trumpet [+ güiro], trombone [+ whistle], electric guitar [with slide/glass], percussion, 1 or more violins [1st + agogô (pair of bells from Africa)], 1 or more violas [1st + tambourine], 1 or more cellos [1st + triangle], 1 or more double basses [1st + suspended cymbal]), 2003
Concerto de Câmara para Guitarra/Ligeti at Home, guitar, small orchestra (1 or more flutes, 1 or more clarinets, 2 or more violins, 1 or more violas, 1 or more cellos, 1 or more double basses), 2008
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Apontamentos, 2 guitars, 1983
Balada, guitar, 1983
Dois Solos, clarinet, 1987
Duas Visões Breves, guitar, 1987
Estudo Numerus Nove, guitar, 1989
Quarteto para Cinco Clarinetes, 4 clarinets, bass clarinet, 1990–91
Dois Portfólios Estilísticos II, 1992 (its sections may be performed separately: Homenagem a Bartók, violin, viola, cello; Homenagem a Ligeti, string quartet)
Glosa sobre um tema de Teresa, guitar, 1997
Prelúdio Abreviado, guitar, 1998
Sol y Aire, 3 guitars, 1998
Ligeti at Home (Homenagem a G. Ligeti), flute, clarinet, violin, viola/guitar, cello, 2001
Glosa Desconcertante, guitar, 2004
O Professor, 4 or more guitars (with conductor ad libitum), 2005 (concert version of section of O Que Eu Quero Ser)
O Futebolista, 12 or more improvisational guitars (all + percussion) (with conductor [+ whistle]), 2005 (concert version of section of O Que Eu Quero Ser)
O Bombeiro, clarinet, alto saxophone, 2005 (concert version of section of O Que Eu Quero Ser)
Estudo con Sequenza, guitar, 2006
Variações sobre uma Canção de Natal, 4/6 or more guitars, 2010
CHORAL:
A Deusa Visível (text by António Ramos Rosa), soprano, 8/12 mixed voices, 1989
VOCAL:
Três Poemas de Mário Dionísio (text by Mário Dionísio), soprano, guitar, 1986 (Juventude Musical Portuguesa)
PIANO:
Duas Peças a Quatro Mãos (Homenagem a Messiaen), piano 4 hands/2 pianos, 1982 (Scarecrow Press)
Breve Evocação, 1985 (Scarecrow Press)
Dois Portfólios Estilísticos I (Homenagem a Schoenberg e Hindemith), 1992 (Scarecrow Press)
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Visão Natureza, fixed media (8 tracks), 1991
Momentos de Cor, fixed media (8 tracks), 1992
DIDACTIC MUSIC:
Peças Didácticas do Daniel, piano, 2009
ARRANGEMENTS:
Román népi táncok – Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56 (Béla Bartók), 2 guitars, 1982
Primeiro Tento do 1º tom (Manuel Rodrigues Coelho), 3 guitars, 1989 (collaboration with António Ferreirinho)
Fantasía del cuarto tono (Pedro de Araújo), 3 guitars, 1990 (collaboration with António Ferreirinho)
O Quam Suavis (Francisco António de Almeida), 4 or more guitars, 1998
Dreistimmige Inventionen, BWV 790, 792, 795, 798 (Johann Sebastian Bach), 3 guitars, 1998 (also version of BWV 792, 798 for flute, violin, ensemble [2/5 guitars], 2005)
Italienisches Konzert in F-dur, BWV 971 (Johann Sebastian Bach), 3 guitars, 1999
Air from Suite Nr. 3 in D-dur, BWV 1068 (Johann Sebastian Bach), guitar, 1999 (also version for flute/violin, ensemble [4 or more guitars], 2004)
Waltz No. 2 (Dmitri Shostakovich), flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2000
Waltz in G major (Dmitri Shostakovich), flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2000
Excursions (Thea Musgrave), clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2001
Polka from Zolotoy vek – The Golden Age, Op. 22 (Dmitri Shostakovich), flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2002
Un Día de Noviembre (Leo Brouwer), flute, guitar, 2002
Seis Canções Regionais Portuguesas (Fernando Lopes-Graça), flute, guitar, viola, 2004
Três Canções de Natal (Fernando Lopes-Graça), flute, guitar, viola, 2004
Music for Children (nos. 9, 6 from Duets for Children, Book 2) (Sir William Walton), violin, double bass, accordion, 2004
Pavane, Op. 50 (Gabriel Fauré), flute, guitar, viola, 2004
Wiegenlied, Op. 49 No. 4 (Johannes Brahms), flute/guitar/violin, ensemble (6 or more guitars), 2004
Historia del Tango (Ástor Piazzolla), flute, ensemble (10–30 guitars), 2006–07
Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 1 in G-moll (Johannes Brahms), guitar, ensemble (5 or more guitars, double bass/bass guitar, triangle [+ drum/guitar top]), 2008 (also version for guitar, ensemble [5 or more guitars, double bass/bass guitar, triangle, guitar top], 2008)
Canción del Emperador (Luis de Narváez), guitar, 2008
Csángó Sonatina (Ferenc Farkas), 7 or more guitars, double bass, tambourine (+ medium drum), 2009
Cinco Peças Populares Brasileiras (Celso Machado), 5 or more guitars, 2009
Choro-Maxixe (Celso Machado), flute, ensemble (6 or more guitars, double bass), 2010
DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
Balada; Duas Visões Breves. José Mesquita Lopes, guitar (Duplisom: SPA 241, 1990) (cassette)
O Professor. José Mesquita Lopes/Ensemble de Guitarras do Orfeão de Leiria (Orfeão de Leiria Conservatório de Artes, 2006)
O Que Eu Quero Ser. Luís Casalinho, clarinet; Alberto Roque, alto saxophone; José Mesquita Lopes/Ensemble Concertante de Guitarras (Média Movie – Produções Audiovisuais, 2008) (DVD)
Estudo con Sequenza. Júlio Guerreiro, guitar (Promúsica Badajoz, 2009)
DISCOGRAPHY (as director)
Orfeão no Seu Melhor – Conservatório de Artes. (Orfeão de Leiria Conservatório de Artes: OLCD2004001, 2004)
DISCOGRAPHY (as guitarist)
Trio de Guitarras de Lisboa. António Ferreirinho, Fernando Guiomar, José Mesquita Lopes, guitars (Numérica: NUM 1049, 1997)