Soloist
As a student at Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa, Ricardo Martins had the opportunity to participate in several large-scale projects with other pianists. These include a complete performance of Bártok’s Mikrokosmos and Frederico de Freitas’ O Livro da Maria Frederica. In 2003 and 2004, he played several solo concerts at the Palácio Nacional de Mafra, with works by Beethoven, Scarlatti, Brahms, Bach and Mendelsohn.
His repertoire includes works by composers of all nationalities and esthetics. Some of these pieces include Mermaid Suite by Du Mingxin, In a Vodka Shop by Arnold Bax, and In Dahomey by Percy Grainger.
He is also an avid player of Portuguese music, his repertoire including Scenas Portuguezas op. 9 by Vianna da Motta, Prelúdios op. 1 by Armando José Fernandes, Prelúdios by Luís de Freitas Branco, and Nove Danças Breves by Fernando Lopes-Graça.
Chamber Music
Mr. Martins has performs frequently with other musicians, having played Taffanel’s lavish “Fantasie über Der Freischütz” alongside flutist Ana Carina Sousa, Berg’s Vier Stücke für Klarinette und Piano op. 5, with Vitor Feitor, and Wagner’s Wesendonk Lieder, with Ana Cosme, as well as several works for piano and wind ensembles, which include Damase’s Quatour, Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe, bassoon and piano, and Brahms’ Horn Trio op. 40.
He has also played for singers in recitals in a wide range of repertoire, such as Alexandra Bernardo (Bizet and Wagner) and João Valido Vaz (Ravel, Debussy, Duparc and Poulenc).
With pianist António Cebola, they played Satie’s La belle excentrique and Milhaud’s Le boeuf sur le toi. Other piano ventures include Mozart’s Fugue K. 426, with Sérgio Silva, and Poulenc’s Sonata for 2 pianos, with João Bernardo.
He has performed several times with saxophonist Raimundo Semedo, exploring a diverse set of works, which include works by french neo-classical composers, as well as some more modern works, such as Eurico Carrapatoso’s Sete peças em forma de boomerang, for soprano saxophone and piano.
accompanist
As an accompanist, Mr. Martins has worked with both students and professional musicians. While his main occupation is divided between rehearsing with instruments, namely woodwinds, and singers, he has also played for maestro John Nelson in conducting lessons, alongside Sérgio Silva. He also played for the Companhia Nacional de Bailado’s rehearsals of Gluck’s Alceste, with choreography by Ron Howell. Other activities include recording the piano part for João Gil’s Salve Mariam, with the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir and Joana Carneiro, and playing continuo on a fortepiano for a production of Don Giovanni, with the Opera Studio of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon, and maestro Pedro Amaral.
Mr. Martins accompanied a small concert for EMNSC Recorder students for the at the Dias da Música (2011) at the Centro Cultural de Belém. In 2019, also at the CCB, he performed in concert at the Grande Auditório, playing works by Debussy, Piazzola and Elgar, with the EMNSC’s chorus and ballet classes, and maestro Henrique Piloto.
He also played for the Regina Coeli choir, and maestro Pedro Miguel, in two concerts with Christmas songs from English and Portuguese composers (2013 and 2014).
While a student at the IGL, he played in several recitals with singers, including an event commemorating 100 years of the birth of Maestro Frederico de Freitas, as well as playing Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, with the Coro de Câmara do IGL, and maestro Armando Possante.
Later, at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, he was an active chamber musician, as well as an accompanist. Alongside pianist António Cebola, they played Richard Rodney Bennett’s Nonsense, with the ESML Coro de Câmara, and maestro Vasco Azevedo.
Teaching
Mr. Martins’ teaching projects include a continuous study into the mechanics, thought processes and components that make up piano Sight-reading. He created and taught in a Sight-reading Workshop at the EMNSC, with 20 participants. This workshop included a small lecture entitled “Basics of piano sight-reading”.
He was a guest lecturer at the Encontro Internacional de Pianistas online Crescendo hosting a conference titled “Piano Sight-reading: tips and tricks” (which took place during the early 2020 lockdown).