Vasco Ramalho
Vasco Ramalho was born in 1982 in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal. He began his musical studies at the age of 12 at the Vocational School of Music in Évora. He completed his course with distinction and immediately entered the university in the same city, at Universidade de Évora.
He graduated in 2005 and was awarded a merit scholarship for two consecutive years, a prize distinguishing the two best students of each course. He later completed his studies with internationally renowned artist Ludwig Albert at the Royal Conservatory Antwerp in Belgium, obtaining the postgraduate marimba soloist degree. He participated in various international courses and festivals such as the Zeltsman Marimba Festival 2003, U.S.A.; the Ludwig Albert Int. Marimba Academy 2006, Belgium; the Keiko Abe Academy 2007, Belgium; and the IPEW 2008, Croatia.
Since beginning his teaching career in 2005, Vasco Ramalho set as his main goal the development of Percussion in the South Region of Portugal, as at that time there was only one school offering Percussion as a subject. In 2005 he established percussion classes at the Regional Conservatory of Alto Alentejo and the Regional Conservatory of Baixo Alentejo. In 2006 he began working at the Musical Academy of Lagos and the Conservatory in Portimão. In 2007 he started working at Lagoa’s Conservatory and at the Regional Conservatory of Vila Real de Santo António. Currently he is a Percussion teacher at the Musical Academy of Lagos and a member of the pedagogical board at Lagoa’s Conservatory.
He is the founder and artistic director of several projects: PORQUESÃO ENSEMBLE (Percussion group of Lagoa’s Conservatory); ABMIRAM ENSEMBLE (Academy Marimba Ensemble); OPA (Academy Percussion Orchestra); DUO DINÂMICO (Percussion Duo); ABMIRAM TRIO (Percussion Trio). He is also artistic director of the "Festival Internacional de Percussão cidade de Portimão".
In the coming years he will continue his pedagogical dedication, present his first concerto for 3 marimbas and orchestra (commissioned by the Musical Academy of Lagos), release his first CD entitled Meu Fado, Essências de Marimba, and host the II Festival Internacional de Percussão cidade de Portimão and the "Ludwig Albert Int. Summer Marimba Academy".
Vasco Ramalho is an Adams artist performing on the Adams marimba Ludwig Albert Signature artist model.
