Considered one of the most promising Portuguese pianists of his generation, Manuel Araujo is a disciple of pianist Aquiles Delle Vigne, having graduated in his class with the highest degree (Cum Laude) in Codarts, University of Professional Arts Education in Rotterdam. Received enriching musical advice from musicians like Mikhail Voskresensky, Angela Hewitt, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Ronald Brautigam, Gabriel Kwok, Helena Sá e Costa, Sequeira Costa, Fausto Di Cesare, Enrico Pace, Luiz de Moura Castro, Wofgang Holzmair, Emanuel Krasovsky, Gary Hoffman and Choong Mo Kang.

Premier Prix in the 89th Concours International Léopold Bellan in Paris, he made his professional debut in Lisbon at the age of 17, after being awarded the first prize by unanimity in the National Prize for Young Pianists “Fundação Rotária Portuguesa”, dedicated to the Portuguese leading pianist and pedagogue Helena Sá e Costa (disciple of Edwin Fischer, Vianna da Motta and Alfred Cortot), who presided the jury.  As a young pianist was awarded 1st prize in several competitions in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Japan and Belgium.

Performed in Portugal, Spain, France, Israel, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Brazil, Austria, Macedonia, Japan and Taiwan.

Venues include Amsterdam’s Schouwburg and Concertgebouw, Hermitage Imperial Theatre and Briantzev Theatre St. Petersburg, Seymour Center in Sydney, S. Clemente Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Lucent The Hague, Philips Zaal Eindhoven, Schouwburg and De Doelen in Rotterdam, S. Luiz Theatre, S. Carlos National Theatre and CCB in Lisbon, Casa da Música Porto, Bitola National Theatre, Salla Filarmonica Trento, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Alte Handelsboerse and Mendelssohnhaus in Leipzig, Brussels Gothic Hall of the City Hall, Wiener Zaal and Solitar Mozarteum Salzburg, Felicja Blumental Center in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Theatre, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall or Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center Taipei.          

Was invited to participate in several Festivals, including the 34th Yokohama International Piano Concert, Sintra, Mafra, Cap Ferret, Openlook St. Petersburg, Sommerakademie Mozarteum Salzburg, Alcobaça, Forum Internacional Torrelodones, the 4 Seasons of Vidago, the Euro Music Festival Leipzig, Festa na Baixa CNC, Festival Euro-Mediterraneo Calabria, Viseu Music Spring and the Rotterdam Operadagen, where he performed Reminiscences de D. Juan in the Liszt Opera transcriptions marathon (Concertgebouw De Doelen).

Performed with live broadcasting for Euroradio (EBU), Kol Ha Musica IBA (Israel), RTP2 e Antena 2 (Portugal) and for ABC Classic FM (Australia).

As a soloist, performed with the Oporto National Orchestra, Sinfonia Rotterdam, Rotterdam Ensemble, Macedonian Philharmonic, Orquestra Clássica do Centro, Orquestra de Espinho, Orquestra Sinfónica do Atlântico, Orquestra Sinfonica Esproarte, Orquestra do Norte (Portugal) and Orquestra Filarmonica di Stato "P. Constantinescu" di Ploiesti (Romania), with the conductors Lior Shambadal, Conrad van Alphen, Claudio Cohen, Anton Nanut, José Ferreira Lobo, Marc Tardue, Manuel Ivo Cruz, Sergio Alapont, Jan Wierzba, Ahmed El Saedi, Artur Pinho Maria, Roberto Beltran, Roberto Misto and Enrique Bátiz.

Manuel Araújo was Assistant Piano Professor of professor Aquiles Delle Vigne in Codarts, University of Arts in Rotterdam and in Schola Cantorum Paris. Was invited to give masterclasses and lectures in Kawai Omotesando Tokyo, Chinese Culture, National Chiao Tung and Chung Yuan Universities, Taipei, Forum Musikae Madrid, Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa, University of Coimbra, and Esproarte Mirandela. Was a guest juror of the Taiwan International Piano Ensemble Competition, Viseu International Competition, Ilda Moura, StayHome International Piano Competition 2020 (Italy) and Fujairah International Piano Competition.

He is a founder of Academia Internacional de Música “Aquiles Delle Vigne”, in Coimbra and member of the artistic direction of the Coimbra World Piano Meeting and Sardoal International Piano Meeting.

He is also part of the faculty of Wiener Musikseminar, in the University of Music and Performing Arts of Vienna.

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