Emília Alves, Luís Norberto Silva, Susana Cordeiro, Viola

Emília Alves graduated in Viola from Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo with Ryszard Wóycicki and studied with Atar Arad at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and holds a Master in Education Sciences from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She has been Pedagogical Director at Academia de Música de Espinho and was Pedagogical Advisor for the Master’s Pedagogical Practice process at Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

She is founding member of the Associação Portuguesa da Viola D’Arco, and has participated in congresses and conferences such as the International Viola Congress (as organizer and as a participant), at the Conferences on Pedagogy in the Specialized Artistic Teaching of Music at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (as speaker) and at the International ESTA Conferences (also as part of the technical team).

She currently teaches some Viola students in vocational private music schools (Academia de Música de Espinho, Escola de Música de Perosinho and Conservatório de Música de Terras de Santa Maria) and is member of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música.

Susana Cordeiro began her musical studies at the age of six at the Regional Conservatory of Ponta Delgada. She studied violin and later viola under the guidance of Professor Shelley Ross. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Viola at the Lisbon Superior School of Music (E.S.M.L.), studying with Professor Alberto Nunes, and her Master’s degree at the Porto School of Music and Performing Arts (ESMAE) under the tutelage of violist and Professor Ryszard Woycicki. She received private instruction from violists Ceciliu Isfan and Barbara Friedhoff and participated in masterclasses with Anabela Chaves. She has collaborated with various orchestras, including the Lisbon Youth Symphony Orchestra, Portuguese Youth Orchestra, Cascais and Oeiras Orchestra, ESMAE Sinfonietta Orchestra, Ponta Delgada Sinfonietta Orchestra, Póvoa do Varzim Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Nov’Arte, and Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra. From January 1998 to February 2007, she was a member of the Philharmonia das Beiras Orchestra (O.F.B.). She has worked with numerous conductors and soloists. She taught Viola and Violin at the Azeredo Perdigão Music Conservatory in Viseu and at the Paços de Brandão Music Academy. Since 2009, she is a faculty at the Porto Conservatory of Music. She is a board member of the Portuguese Viola d’Arco Association (APVdA) and Momentos Oblíquos Association, as well as the musical and production coordinator of the Camerata Nov’Arte ensemble.

Luís Norberto Silva is violist at Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música since September 2000 and maintains regular activity in various chamber music formations with which he has performed in various national and international music venues and festivals.

He began his musical studies at Academia de Música de Espinho and Escola Profissional de Música de Espinho. After 1992 he begun to dedicate himself to the Viola as a student of professor Ryszard Wóycicki with whom he completed his degree at Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo do Porto.

He has been teaching regularly since 1995 and is a member of the Board of Directors of APVdA-Associação Portuguesa da Viola d’Arco.