Francisco Luís: Portuguese Guitar Virtuoso
Francisco Luís is one of the most distinguished Portuguese guitarists of his generation, winner of more than forty international prizes. Born in Caldas da Rainha on July 22, 1998, he began studying guitar at the age of ten under Professor Luís Roldão at the local conservatory.
Early Education and Musical Formation
After five years of studies, Francisco was admitted to the National Conservatory in Lisbon, where he continued under Eurico Pereira. His training included solo performance, chamber music with Júlio Guerreiro and Paulo Amorim, and basso continuo with Helena Raposo. He also studied composition and analysis with Daniel Schvetz and Eurico Carrapatoso, deepening his understanding of musical structure and expression.
A major milestone in his early career came in 2015, when he performed Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the National Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra at Lisbon’s Cinema/Teatro São Jorge.
Higher Studies and Artistic Growth
Francisco later moved to the Netherlands to study at the Maastricht Conservatorium with Carlo Marchione, graduating with distinction. He went on to complete a master’s degree under Professor Zoran Dukic at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, further refining his technical mastery and interpretative depth.
Performances and International Recognition
Francisco Luís has performed in more than ten countries, appearing at prestigious venues such as the Musikverein in Vienna, Casa da Música in Porto, Palácio da Ajuda in Lisbon and the Parkstad Limburg Theaters in Heerlen. He has won over twenty first prizes at major international competitions, including Iserlohn, Baltic, Florida, Aalborg and the Albania Guitar Festival. Most recently, he achieved second prize (with first not awarded) at the Koblenz International Guitar Competition (Hubert Käppel).
EuroStrings and Recent Projects
In 2020, Francisco became the first Portuguese guitarist selected for the EuroStrings program — a European platform supporting the most promising young guitarists. Through this initiative, he toured internationally, giving masterclasses, performing solo recitals, and representing Portuguese artistry on leading classical guitar stages.
He has recorded in prestigious studios such as Siccas Guitars in Karlsruhe and is an official artist of Resonant Connections Media in the Netherlands. As part of The Hague Guitar Duo, he has recorded arrangements of works by Fauré and Schubert, demonstrating his refined sense of tone and balance.
Artistic Vision
Francisco Luís is praised for his expressive clarity and natural musicality. His repertoire spans classical transcriptions, contemporary works and original compositions. Italian guitarist Carlo Marchione once described him as “a musician whose playing carries a sense of inevitability and naturalness — qualities that cannot be taught but only lived.”
