The Artistic Production Organization (Opart) has announced that Pedro Amaral was unanimously chosen from 21 eligible candidates to succeed the Dutchman Ivan van Kalmthout, who stepped down in July last year after a year in the role.
The jury, presided over by Conceição Amaral, included Rui Morais, Jorge Vaz de Carvalho, Isamay Benavente, and Paolo Pinamonti. They selected Pedro Amaral’s candidacy for its clarity and coherence in programmatic proposals, the solidity of his musical education, and his significant artistic experience.
The statement reads, “Pedro Amaral’s candidacy places the public service mission of the National Theatre of São Carlos at the heart of its action, highlighting its national and international reference role. The programmatic letter presented in ‘three phases’ – short, medium, and long term – focuses on artistic creation, repertoire, Portuguese musical heritage, and the development of talent and Portuguese creativity, with a particularly rigorous attention to touring, diverse audiences, and the establishment of international networks and collaborations.”
The jury also valued the breadth of the vision presented, along with critical and constructive thinking, as well as the profound sense of mission and enthusiasm demonstrated by Pedro Amaral regarding the challenges facing the National Theatre of São Carlos and its future.
According to the biography shared by Opart, Pedro Amaral, born in 1972, began his studies with Fernando Lopes-Graça in 1986. He graduated from the Lisbon School of Music (1994) and the National Superior Conservatory of Paris, where he unanimously obtained the 1st Prize in Composition in 1998.
Amaral also attended the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, where he completed his Master’s in Contemporary Musicology (1998) and a Doctorate (2003) with a thesis on Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Momente.”
His operas “O Sonho” and “Beaumarchais” premiered in London in 2010 and at the Dona Maria II National Theatre in Lisbon in 2017. Currently, he serves as a professor at the University of Évora.
The selection occurs as the TNSC building in Lisbon remains closed for rehabilitation works under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), with the artistic programming being fulfilled through a national tour.
The National Theatre was closed at the end of July 2024, with reopening scheduled for 2026.
