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Mesquita Lopes, José (b. December 25, 1960, Lisbon). Portuguese composer of stage, orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, piano, and electroacoustic works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere; he is also active as a guitarist.
Mr. Mesquita Lopes 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 baccalaureate and where he later studied composition with Sérgio Azevedo, Nuno Bettencourt and Christopher Bochmann from 2001–03 and received his superior degree. He has studied at the Universidade de Aveiro and the Universidade Nova de Lisboa 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 Ciência e Tecnologia. In addition, he attended a composition seminar with Reginald Smith-Brindle in 1983, five composition seminars with Emmanuel Nunes from 1989–98, a composition seminar with Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1992, a composition seminar with Elliott Carter in 1992, three composition seminars with Leo Brouwer from 1994–2001, and a composition seminar with Cândido Lima in 1999. Before he trained as a composer, he studied guitar with Paulo Valente at the Academia de Música de Lisboa, 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. Moreover, he attended guitar seminars with Alberto Ponce from 1980–90, José Luis González in 1986 and Alírio Diaz in 1988 and had guitar lessons with Christopher Lyall in 1991.
Among his honors are First Prize in the competition of the organization Juventude Musical Portuguesa in Lisbon (1986, for Três Poemas de Mário Dionísio), Second Prize in the Joly Braga-Santos competition of the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (1995, for Passeios da Cidade) and First Prize in the Ciudad de Badajoz competition for guitar compositions from Portugal and Spain (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.
Mr. Mesquita Lopes is also active in other positions. He has served as director of the Ensemble de Guitarras do CMDD in Odivelas since 1998, the Ensemble de Guitarras do Orfeão de Leiria since 2003 and the Pro Guitar Ensemble in Leiria since 2007 and 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 Música de Lisboa since 1985 and taught analysis and sight-reading for guitarists there from 1994–98. He 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 Odivelas since 1993 and has served as a member of its education council since 1995. He gave masterclasses at the Cursos de Guitarra de Leiria from 1990–95 and has given masterclasses on chamber music and guitar at the Estágio International de Orquestra da Região de Leiria/Fátima since 2004.
AvA Musical Editions publishes most of his music, but Juventude Musical Portuguesa publishes his works for soprano and guitar, Ayuntamento de Badajoz/Pro Musica Badajoz publishes some of his guitar works and Scarecrow Press publishes his piano music.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: j.mesquitalopes@netcabo.pt
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE: O Que Eu Quero Ser (3 ballets for children, scenario by José Jorge Letria, choreography by Ana Manzoni, Catarina Moreira), 2005 (each of its three sections may be performed separately: O Professor, youth dance troupe, 4 guitars [with conductor ad libitum] [a larger number of guitars may be used]; O Futebolista, youth dance troupe, 12 or more improvisational guitars [all + percussion] [with conductor (+ whistle)]; O Bombeiro, youth dance troupe, clarinet, alto saxophone; each of its three sections may be performed as concert works)
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, tenor trombone; flute, oboe, bass clarinet, French horn, trumpet; guitar, 2 or more violins, 1 or more violas, 1 or more celli; guitar, 2 or more violins, 1 or more violas, 1 or more double basses), 1994–95; Ecos da Eternidade, 8/16 guitars, 1999 (number of guitars may be between 30–60); 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], tenor trombone [+ whistle], electric guitar [with slide/glass], percussion, violin [+ agogô (pair of African bells)], viola [+ tambourine], cello [+ triangle], double bass [+ suspended cymbal]), 2003 (a larger number of strings may be used, but only the first player of each instrument should play percussion instruments); Concerto de Câmara para Guitarra/Ligeti at Home, guitar, small orchestra (flute, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 2008 (a larger number of winds, strings may be used)
CHAMBER MUSIC: Apontamentos I, 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 Portfolios Estilísticos II, 1992 (each of 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 guitars (with conductor ad libitum), 2005 (a larger number of guitars may be used) (section of O Que Eu Quero Ser; may be performed separately as a concert work); O Futebolista, 12 or more improvisational guitars (all + percussion) (with conductor [+ whistle]), 2005 (section of O Que Eu Quero Ser; may be performed separately as a concert work); O Bombeiro, clarinet, alto saxophone, 2005 (section of O Que Eu Quero Ser; may be performed separately as a concert work); Estudo con Sequenza, guitar, 2006
CHORAL: A Deusa Visível (text by António Ramos Rosa), soprano, 8/12 mixed voices, 1989
VOCAL: Três Poemas de Mário Dionísio, soprano, guitar, 1986
PIANO: Duas Peças a Quatro Mãos (Homenagem a Messiaen), piano 4 hands/2 pianos, 1982; Breve Evocação, 1985; Dois Portfolios Estilísticos I (Homenagem a Schoenberg e Hindemith), 1992
ELECTROACOUSTIC: Visão Natureza, 8-track tape, 1991; Momentos de Cor, 8-track tape, 1992
DIDACTIC MUSIC: Peças Didácticas do Daniel, piano, 2009
ARRANGEMENTS: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56 (Béla Bartók), 2 guitars, 1982; Primeiro Tento do 1º tom (Manoel 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 guitars, 1998 (number of guitars may be multiplied); 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, BWV 971 (Johann Sebastian Bach), 3 guitars, 1999; Arie from Suite Nr. 3 in D-dur, BWV 1068 (Johann Sebastian Bach), guitar, 1999 (also version for flute/violin, ensemble [4 guitars], 2004 [number of guitars may be multiplied]); Waltz No. 2 (Dmitry Shostakovich), flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2000; Waltz in G major (Dmitry Shostakovich), flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2000; Excursions (Thea Musgrave), clarinet, guitar, violin, viola, double bass, 2001; Polka from Zolotoy vek – The Age of Gold, Op. 22 (Dmitry 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 de Tango (Ástor Piazzolla), flute, 10–30 guitars, 2006–07; Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 1 (Johannes Brahms), guitar, ensemble (5 or more guitars, double bass/bass guitar, triangle [+ drum/guitar top]), 2008 (doubling, if on guitar top, may be performed by a second percussionist)
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 (Pro Musica Badajoz, 2009)
DISCOGRAPHY (as guitarist)
Trio de Guitarras de Lisboa. António Ferreirinho, Fernando Guiomar, José Mesquita Lopes, guitars (Numérica: NUM 1049, 1997)
DISCOGRAPHY (as director)
Orfeão no Seu Melhor – Conservatório de Artes. (Orfeão de Leiria Conservatório de Artes: OLCD2004001, 2004)
(Last updated on May 17, 2009)
