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Gabriela Canavilhas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gabriela Canavilhas
Minister of Culture, Portugal
In office
2009–2011
Member of theAssembly of the Portuguese Republic
In office
2011–2018
Parliamentary groupPortuguese Socialist Party (PS)
Personal details
Born
Maria Gabriela da Silveira Ferreira

(1961-03-29)29 March 1961(age 63)
Lubango,Angola
Political partyPortuguese Socialist Party (PS)
SpouseJosé Manuel Pinheiro Lopes Canavilhas
ChildrenOne daughter
Alma materNOVA University Lisbon
OccupationClassical pianist

Gabriela Canavilhas(born 1961) is a Portuguese classical pianist, music teacher and former politician. As well as being the Minister of Culture between 2009 and 2011, she was a deputy in theAssembly of the Republicfrom 2011 until 2018.

Early life

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Maria Gabriela da Silveira Ferreira Canavilhas was born inLubango(formerly known as Sá da Bandeira) inAngolaon 29 March 1961. Living briefly inMozambique,she spent most of her childhood and adolescence onSão Miguel Islandin the Portuguese island group of theAzores,[1]apart from two years spent in the USA.[2]She obtained a degree in Musical Sciences from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of theNOVA University Lisbonand took a further Piano Course at the National Conservatory ofLisbon.[3]She then taught at theAcademia de Amadores de Música(1982–1986) before joining the School of Music at the National Conservatory in 1986.[4][5][6]

Pianist

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As a pianist, between 1986 and 2004 she performed throughout Portugal, as well as in the US, Canada, Brazil,Macau,Italy and Germany.[1]She was known for playing works by Portuguese composers,[2]such as the 19th century pianistJoão Domingos Bomtempo,and more recent composers such asVianna da Motta,Alfredo Keil,Fernando Lopes-Graça,Frederico de Freitas,andLuis de Freitas Branco.She paid attention to the works of modern composers, such asEurico CarrapatosoandClotilde Rosa,often giving first performances of their work. She produced sevenCDsof Portuguese music,[1]including some previously unrecorded. Among her other roles, she has been President of the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra (2003/2008), president of theAcademia Nacional Superior de Orquestra,founder and artistic director of theMusicAtlânticoFestival (1999–2009) in the Azores, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Luso-American Foundation for Development (FLAD).[7]She also presented a television programme on Portuguese museums.[1][5][6][8]

Political life

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In 2002, Canavilhas was a candidate for thePortuguese Socialist Party (PS)in the Azores in the national elections but was not elected. In 2009 she was appointed Minister of Culture of Portugal,[2]a position she filled until 2011. She then represented the PS in theAssembly of the Republicbetween 2011 and August 2018, when she resigned. She largely concentrated on matters relating to Culture, Education and Foreign Affairs. Her achievements included a successful campaign to have a collection of paintings byJoan Miróstay in Portugal. In 2017, she became a councillor inCascaismunicipality but resigned in 2018, complaining of corrupt practices.[1][3][9][10]

Recent activities

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After resigning from both the national parliament and from the Cascais council, Canavilhas enrolled to take a PhD at theInstituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas(Higher Institute of Social Sciences and Politics – ISCSP), with a thesis on "Female characters in Opera, The Voices of a Gender discourse". She returned to work at the National Conservatory and began to collaborate with a project of the Ministry of Education to support elementary schools in the areas of music and dance. She also broadcast a radio programme onRTP.Canavilhas has been a non-Executive member of the Board of Directors ofFundação Orienteand a member of the General Council of theUniversidade Aberta.She is married to José Manuel Pinheiro Lopes Canavilhas and they have one daughter.[1]

Prizes won

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As a pianist, Canavilhas won the following prizes:[3]

  • 1st Prize at the V International Competition "Città di Moncalieri" inTurin,Italy – 1990;
  • 1st Prize for Classical Music in the National Culture and Development Competition promoted by the Portuguese Club of Arts and Ideas – 1989
  • 1st Prize in the DameRuth RailtonAward – 1976.

Recordings

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  • CD: Song and Piano Pieces by Alfredo Keil;
  • CD: Music for Clarinet and Piano of the 20th century;
  • CD: Portuguese and Brazilian works from the 18th and 19th centuries;
  • CD: Quintets for Piano and String Quartet by J. Domingos Bomtempo;
  • CD: Sonatas for Piano by J. Domingos Bomtempo;
  • CD: Works from the historical repertoire of thePalácio Nacional da Ajuda.[3]

References

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  1. ^abcdef"Gabriela Canavilhas".Festival Música Júnior.Retrieved31 March2021.
  2. ^abc"Gabriela Canavilhas at the Atlantic Talks".FLAD.9 November 2020.Retrieved4 April2021.
  3. ^abcd"Maria Gabriela da Silveira Ferreira Canavilhas".Assembleia de República.Retrieved31 March2021.
  4. ^"Maria Gabriela Canavilhas".Cascais Municipality.Retrieved31 March2021.
  5. ^ab"Gabriela Canavilhas".Cofina Media.Retrieved31 March2021.
  6. ^ab"Gabriela Canavilhas".Casa da Música.Retrieved31 March2021.
  7. ^"Gabriela Canavilhas at the Atlantic Talks".FLAD.Retrieved31 March2021.
  8. ^"Gabriela Canavilhas".Revista Frontline.Retrieved31 March2021.
  9. ^"Gabriela Canavilhas renuncia ao mandato de deputada pelo PS".Diário de Notícias.Retrieved31 March2021.
  10. ^"Nunca fui amiga de Sócrates, mas custa-me ver os que o foram agora fingirem que nem conhecem".Jornal SOL.Retrieved31 March2021.