About

The music of Pedro Faria Gomes has been praised for its ‘high calibre of imagination and workmanship’, showing a ‘fine and original new voice’ (Gapplegate Classical), and for ‘immediately capturing the listener’ (Kathodik). His Chamber Works album (Naxos, 2020) has been critically acclaimed, with Records International highlighting his ‘fine sense of the subtleties of instrumental colour’.

Faria’s works are regularly commissioned, performed, recorded and broadcast internationally. Recordings of his music are available on labels Naxos, Centaur Records, Casa da Música, Numérica, GDA and Compasso. Recognition for his work has included the PRS Sir Arthur Bliss Memorial Award (UK), the Lopes-Graça Prize, and the SPA Prémio Autores 2020 (Portugal).

Throughout his career, Faria has worked with a vast number of soloists, conductors and ensembles worldwide. Recent commissions include new works for the Academia de Música de Santa Cecília (Canções do Quadrante, 2015), Portuguese National Opera / Teatro Nacional de São Carlos (ELA, 2016), Portuguese National Ballet / Companhia Nacional de Bailado (Pinguins, 2016), London Symphony Orchestra (Evening, 2017), Dryads Duo (Sonata, 2018), Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa (Tableaux, 2018), Jeremy Huw Williams (The Ways of Time, 2021) and Síntese – GMC (Partita, 2021).

Following a portrait CD of chamber music released by Naxos, a second portrait album with solo piano works, performed by Kenneth Hamilton, will be released by Prima Facie in 2023.

Born in Lisbon in 1979, Pedro Faria Gomes is based in the UK, where he is Senior Lecturer in Composition at Cardiff University, having previously taught in Portugal and Hong Kong. He holds master's and doctoral degrees from the Royal College of Music. He is married to British violist and teacher Sophie Faria, and they live in Cardiff with their two children.