Cláudio de Pina is a multi-talented sound artist, composer, improviser, organist, and academic researcher. He has amassed more than three decades of expertise in a wide range of music-related fields, including keyboard instruments, synthesis, acoustics, sound engineering, musical production, and computer music programming. With a scientifically-informed approach to music, Cláudio has honed a diverse set of skills in producing, recording, editing, and composing.
Since the 1990s, he has worked as a freelance artist, keyboardist, arranger and producer under the pseudonym Adam Nox, collaborating in videogames, film soundtrack, instalations and sound design. Worked with the bands The Temple, Forgotten Suns, Icon & The Black Roses, Fantasy Opus, Gilbert's Feed Band, and with the studios Dark Wings, Tritonus, Tcha-Tcha-Tcha, to quote a few. He established Centro Oitava studios, in 2014. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to contemporary music. He is the titular organist of the historical organ at the Parish of Ajuda and a researcher in GIMC (CESEM).
Since the 1990s, he has worked as a freelance artist, keyboardist, arranger and producer under the pseudonym Adam Nox, collaborating in videogames, film soundtrack, instalations and sound design. Worked with the bands The Temple, Forgotten Suns, Icon & The Black Roses, Fantasy Opus, Gilbert's Feed Band, and with the studios Dark Wings, Tritonus, Tcha-Tcha-Tcha, to quote a few. He established Centro Oitava studios, in 2014. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to contemporary music. He is the titular organist of the historical organ at the Parish of Ajuda and a researcher in GIMC (CESEM).
Over the past decade, Cláudio's artistic and academic output has been devoted to contemporary music, with a particular focus on organ and acousmatic music. He holds a diploma in Advanced Studies in Musical Arts, with a specialisation in organ and contemporary music, and is a master in Musical Arts, having been distinguished with the Dean's Honour Roll in 2018. He is currently a PhD candidate and FCT research fellow in the field of contemporary organ and electroacoustic music, studying at the Nova University (ESML/FCSH). He has also studied at the Gregorian Institute of Lisbon, Hot Jazz Club, and the Physics Engineering at Lisbon University (FC-UL), and has received further studies from renowned personalities such as Adrian Moore, Åke Parmerud, Annette Vande Gorne, Barry Truax, César Viana, Eurico Carrapatoso, Gilles Gobeil, Hans Tutschku, Jaime Reis, Vincent Debut, and Trevor Wishart, amongst many others.
Cláudio's scientific output covers a wide range of subjects, including musical analysis, musical composition, electroacoustic music, acoustics, sound synthesis and organ performance. His artistic work has been selected and premiered at international events, including Arte no Tempo, Aveiro Síntese, Binaural Nodar, Festival DME, Festival Zeppelin, Iklectic, MUSLAB, MA/IN, Lisboa Incomum, L'Espace du Son, Perspectivas Sonoras, and the World Listening Project. He has also been a finalist in the MA/IN and Métamorphoses composition contests, and his acousmatic works have been published in the MA/IN 2019 and Métamorphoses 2020 releases. He has released two albums, Asteroeidēs, which features organ music with electronics, and Palimpsestus, an album of acousmatic music. In 2022, he released his organ solo album, Avant-Garde Organ, which was a critical edition of vanguard organ works adapted on a historical Portuguese organ. The album was funded by the GDA Foundation, with the support of CESEM, the Culture Ministry of Portugal, and was published by 9 Musas and distributed by Codax Music.
In conclusion, de Pina is a talented and innovative sound artist and researcher who has dedicated his life to exploring the boundaries of music and pushing the limits of what is possible. His extensive academic and artistic background, combined with his passion for innovation and experimentation, has resulted in a unique and diverse body of work that has been recognized and celebrated worldwide.
Artist Statement
My artistic output reflects a lifelong pursuit of amassing musical and scientific knowledge paired with critical thinking and experimentation. Building from a strong foundation in a vast range of science and musical disciplines, I continued to push the boundaries and create innovative works that draw upon a wide spectrum of musical styles, supported by academia research and unusual techniques. I am committed to explore the sonic possibilities of music and using my artistic practice to shed new light on the relationship between sound, technology, performance and the human experience. Ironically, "audio" is included in my name!
Cláudio's scientific output covers a wide range of subjects, including musical analysis, musical composition, electroacoustic music, acoustics, sound synthesis and organ performance. His artistic work has been selected and premiered at international events, including Arte no Tempo, Aveiro Síntese, Binaural Nodar, Festival DME, Festival Zeppelin, Iklectic, MUSLAB, MA/IN, Lisboa Incomum, L'Espace du Son, Perspectivas Sonoras, and the World Listening Project. He has also been a finalist in the MA/IN and Métamorphoses composition contests, and his acousmatic works have been published in the MA/IN 2019 and Métamorphoses 2020 releases. He has released two albums, Asteroeidēs, which features organ music with electronics, and Palimpsestus, an album of acousmatic music. In 2022, he released his organ solo album, Avant-Garde Organ, which was a critical edition of vanguard organ works adapted on a historical Portuguese organ. The album was funded by the GDA Foundation, with the support of CESEM, the Culture Ministry of Portugal, and was published by 9 Musas and distributed by Codax Music.
In conclusion, de Pina is a talented and innovative sound artist and researcher who has dedicated his life to exploring the boundaries of music and pushing the limits of what is possible. His extensive academic and artistic background, combined with his passion for innovation and experimentation, has resulted in a unique and diverse body of work that has been recognized and celebrated worldwide.
Artist Statement
My artistic output reflects a lifelong pursuit of amassing musical and scientific knowledge paired with critical thinking and experimentation. Building from a strong foundation in a vast range of science and musical disciplines, I continued to push the boundaries and create innovative works that draw upon a wide spectrum of musical styles, supported by academia research and unusual techniques. I am committed to explore the sonic possibilities of music and using my artistic practice to shed new light on the relationship between sound, technology, performance and the human experience. Ironically, "audio" is included in my name!
Curriculum Vitae
- FCT research fellow
- PhD candidate in Musical Arts (FCSH/ESML), Sound expansion in the historical organ and performance practices of contemporary music
- Diploma of Advanced Studies in Musical Arts (FCSH/ESML)
- Master of Musical Arts (FCSH) Dean's Honour Roll 2018, Instrumental music for organ and electroacoustic music
- Participant in the online course for the Soundscape Composition as Context-Based Creation, hosted by Emeritus Professor Barry Truax, (Simon Fraser University, 2023)
- The Art of Combining sounds – with Daniel Teruggi (DME)
- Perception, Imagination, Space and the past of Acousmatic Music – with Annette Vande Gorne (DME)
- Travel around the Space and Time in 60 minutes – with Jonty Harrison (DME)
- Acoustics Fundamentals for Practice and Performance – with Vincent Debut (FCSH)
- Electroacoustic Music, Sound design and Spatialization – with Jaime Reis (FCSH)
- Spatial Interpretation of Acousmatic Music – with Annette Vande Gorne (ESML/DME)
- Electroacoustic Composition Course I – with Trevor Wishart (Miso Music)
- Electroacoustic Composition Course II – with Gilles Gobeil (Miso Music)
- International Masterclass of Electroacoustic Music – with Åke Parmerud (DME)
- International Composition Masterclass – with Åke Parmerud (DME)
- Kyiv International Composition Masterclass - with Jaime Reis, João Pedro Oliveira, Hans Tutschku, Dimitris Andrikopoulos (PWGL), Carlos Caires (IRIN)
- Electroacoustic Composition Masterclass – with Adrian Moore (Pure Data) (Miso Music)
- Spatialization of Electroacoustic Music – with Miguel Azguime (Miso Music)
- Physics Engineering (FC-UL)
- Organ and Gregorian Chant degree (IGL)
- Composition with Eurico Carrapatoso
- Advanced Piano degree (HCP) with Filipe Melo
- Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude (IEFP)
- Founding Member of Experimental Organ Network
- Founder and director of Amigos do Órgão Ibérico d'Ajuda
Academic research
- The acousmatic gesture in contemporary organ music, NCMM | 2023, Colégio Almada Negreiros (2023)
- Adapting avant-garde organ music for historical instruments, ENIM | XI Encontro de Investigação em Música, Aveiro University (2022)
- When the old technology meets the new: A case study about an acousmatic perspective of the organ, 1.º Encontro em Música, Tecnologia e Investigação, Miso Music, Lisboa (2022)
- Organ notation for extended techniques, published in Journal Proceedings of TENOR, Marseille (2022) ISBN = 979-10-97498-03-0
- This is not a pipe organ, international conference Xperimus, Casa da Música (2022) ISBN 978-972-789-752-0
- Extended techniques on the pipe organ published in Composing Music Today, NCMM/CESEM (2022). ISSN = 2795-4803
- John Cage's organs, EINEM |Encontro Internacional de Estudantes de Música e Musicologia, Évora (2021)
- Ligeti's organ studies, Nova Contemporary Music Meeting, FCSH (2021)
- The organ of the parish of Ajuda, EINEM | Encontro Internacional de Estudantes de Música e Musicologia, Évora (2020)
- O órgão da Ajuda, Comércio de Alcântara, Lisboa (2019)
- Convolution and convoluted acoustic spaces, Tracking the Creative Process in Music, IRCAM/FCSH (2019)
- Técnicas estendidas no órgão, Composition Week, ESML (2019)
- Ligeti's Harmonies, EINEM | Encontro Internacional de Estudantes de Música e Musicologia, Évora (2019)
- Extended techniques on the pipe organ, Nova Contemporary Music Meeting, FCSH (2018)
Prizes, commissions and honorary mentions
- Temptations finalist in composition contest Influx - Musiques & Recherches, premiered in L'Espace du Son (2020) and edited in Metamorphoses (2020).
- Culture Ministry stipend (2021)
- GDA Foundation, phonographic edition prize, Avant-Garde Organ (2020)
- Svart Hål, official selection MUSLAB (2020)
- Dia do Grande Ruído, commission Arte no Tempo, Aveiro (2019)
- Бориска Колокола, finalist in composition contest MA/IN MAtera INtermedia Festival, Italy (2019)
- 10 Hygiea, selected for Mein Vater Erzählt Mir Jeden Sonntag Unsere Neun Planeten, Human Kind Records, Genève (2019)
- 10 Hygiea, selected for 24 hours of performance with with works related to Space, Human Kind Records, Switzerland (2019)
- Ceci n'est pas une... selected for Reencontros de Música Contemporânea, Arte no Tempo, Aveiro (2018)
- Ceci n'est pas une... official selection in Festival Zeppelin, Centre de Cultura Contemporània, Barcelona (2018)
- Waiting for Capdeville, commission for Isto não é um happening... (CESEM/FCSH) (2018)
- Book of Eternal Brass, official selection in MUSLAB, Buenos Aires and México (2017)
- VISEOnarium, official selection in Dias da Música Electroacústica #55, Lisboa Incomum (2016)
- 2 Pallas, commission for 21 Peças do Século XXI, EMSCAN, AVA editions (2016) ISBN: 979-055052-535-1
- Lucas - the Pug in Space, oficial selection in Institute for Alien Research (2016)
- VISEOnarium, official selection in Viseu Rural 2.0 (2015)
- Honorary mention, soundtrack Nos teus Sonhos (2014)
Discography has keyboardist, producer and sound engineer
- Aether Ventus, blumlein records (2023) (organist, designer and producer)
- Avant-garde Organ, 9 musas (2022) (organist and producer)
- Temptations, in Métamorphoses (2020) (composer)
- Palimpsestus, acousmatic music (2020) (composer, designger and producer)
- Asteroeides, organ and electronics (2020) (organist, composer designer and producer)
- Бориска Колокола in Mixtape 2019 MA/IN Festival (2019) (composer)
- O Musical da Minha Vida, La Feria (2016) (arranger and engraver)
- Intro in Serpentiger, The Temple (2015) (composer and arranger)
- Thorns, Icon & The Black Roses (2014) (keyboard player and arranger)
- X marks the Spot in The Last Dream with Fantasy Opus (2014) (arranger and producer)
- RH Mais, 2008 (producer)
- Icon & The Black Roses, Icon & The Black Roses (2004) (keyboard player and arranger)
- Viver Família, Retalhos (1996) (keyboard player, producer and arranger)
Premiers
- Quasi-Lontano (Omaggio a Ligeti), premiered in György Ligeti's centenary, organ recital in NCMM (2023)
- Temptations in Perspectivas Sonora (CMMMAS, Festival DME) (2022)
- Dia do Grande Ruído, for oboe and electronics in RMC 2021 [c08] NMpNM II (2021)
- Бориска Колокола, used by Barry Truax in soundscape composition courses (2021)
- Temptations in festival L'espace du son (Musiques & Recherches) 2020
- Svart Hål, in Aveiro Síntese (2020)
- Svart Hål, in International Composition Masterclass with Åke Parmerud (2019)
- Бориска Колокола, in MA/IN MAtera INtermedia Festival, Italy (2019)
- Sirius A and B, for flute and electronics in Di nuova Maestria, Kyiv Contemporary Music Days, Festival DME (2018)
- Ceci n'est pas une... International Composition Masterclass with Åke Parmerud (2018)
- Vox Humana II, Ikletik (MUSLAB) 2018
- 10 Hygiea, in 24 hours of performance with works related to the Universe. Human Kind Records, Milan (2017)
- Vox Humana II, Casa del Lago, UNAM, México (2017)
- Vox Humana I, Ar Condicionado. FBAL (2017)
- 4 Vesta, Ar Condicionado. FBAL (2017)
- 1 Ceres in CANSAT2017, ESA, Festival DME (2017)
- Viseonarium (Festival DME) 2016
- Book of Eternal Brass (MUSLAB) 2016
- Viseonarium (Binaural Nodar) 2016
- Soundtrack, theatre piece Inferno segundo Rimbaud (2015)
Theatre, Film and Multimedia Installations
- Frei Luís de Sousa, soundtrack for theatre piece by Almeida Garret, ESSM, Sintra (2023)
- Organ, with Dr. Tiago Martins (2022) WIP
- Nos teus Sonhos, soundtrack for short film by Francisco Coutinho, Laloya honorary mention (2016)
- Inferno segundo Rimbaud, soundtrack for theatre piece by Espectacologia (2014)
- Transmedia storytelling installation, composition, TRIPO, with Dr. Tiago Martins (2012)
- Sound design, narration, composition of documentaries and installations for Comissão da Celebração do Centenário da Implementação da República (2010)
- Multimedia installation, composition, Lusitania for Comissão da Celebração do Centenário da Implementação da República. Cordoaria Nacional de Lisboa (2010)
- Multimedia installation, composition, Pax, Vctrlab, Parlamento Europeu (2009)