Vargas, António Pinho

Vargas, António Pinho, Portuguese composer and pianist; b. Vila Nova de Gaia, near Oporto, Aug. 15, 1951. He studied piano at the Porto Cons, (degree 1988), then received a scholarship from the Gulbenkian Foundation which enabled him to study composition with Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Cons. In 1974 he developed an interest in jazz and began performing with various international artists and also touring with his own ensemble throughout Europe and the U.S.; also recorded six albums, including Outros Lugares (1983), Cores e Aromas (1985), and A Luz e a Escurido (1996). From 1991 he taught composition at the Escola Superior de Musica in Lisbon.

Works

dramatic: Édipo—Tragédia do Saber,chamber opera (1995-96); Os Dias Levantados,opera (1998); also incidental music for plays, music for dance, and film scores. ORCH.: Geometral (1988); Explicit Dramafor Orch. and Jazz Trio (1992); Mechanical String Toys (1992); Acting-Outfor Percussion and Orch. (1998); A Impaciência de Mahler (2000). CHAMBER: Estudo/Figurafor 8 Instruments (1990); Poetica dell’E-stinsionefor Flute and String Quartet (1991); Monodia—Quasi un Requiemfor String Quartet (1993); Três Quadros para Almadafor 10 Instruments (1994); Nocturno/Diurnofor String Sextet (1994); Três Versos de Caeirofor 12 Instruments (1997); also numerous keyboard works, including Mirrorsfor Piano (1989). VOCAL: Nove Canções de Antonio Ramos Rosafor Voice and Piano (1995).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire