Maria João Pires wins the Helena Vaz da Silva European Prize

"Maria João Pires is one of the most poetic and influential pianists in Europe," says the jury of the Helena Vaz da Silva European Prize for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage, which decided this year to award the Portuguese pianist the distinction.

"This European recognition pays tribute to the exceptional contribution of one of the greatest pianists of our time to the promotion of European cultural heritage and values," reads the statement obtained by Renascença .

The award jury, chaired by Maria Calado, President of the National Cultural Center, highlights Maria João Pires not only as an “ extraordinary performer ,” but also as “a visionary educator, a cultural thinker, and a quiet revolutionary in the field of musical heritage.”

"Her career, deeply rooted in the values ​​of empathy, inclusion, and artistic excellence, embodies the mission of the Helena Vaz da Silva Prize: to raise public awareness of European cultural heritage through humanistic and impactful engagement."

Composed of independent experts in the fields of culture, heritage and communication from several European countries, this year's jury included Francisco Pinto Balsemão (Portugal), Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Impresa Group, Piet Jaspaert (Belgium), Vice-President of Europa Nostra, João David Nunes (Portugal), Vice-President of the Portuguese Press Club, Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins (Portugal), Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Irina Subotić (Serbia), Member of Europa Nostra Serbia and Marianne Ytterdal (Norway), Member of the Council of Europa Nostra.

In her initial reaction to the award, pianist Maria João Pires expressed her honor. " Receiving an award is an honor . Receiving an honor and being aware of it means remembering in detail all the people who gave their time, collaborated, and helped to ensure this honor was granted. Therefore, my first reaction will always be to say 'thank you very much' to everyone for this opportunity," says the artist, founder of the Belgais Center in Castelo Branco.

Established in 2013 by the National Culture Center, in collaboration with Europa Nostra and the Portuguese Press Club and with the support of the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Turismo de Portugal, the Helena Vaz da Silva European Prize will be awarded at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on November 1st at 5:00 p.m.

In previous editions, the Helena Vaz da Silva Prize has been awarded to German photographer Thomas Struth (2024), Jorge Chaminé, President of the European Music Center (2023), Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv (2022), Belgian contemporary dance choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (2021), Portuguese poet and librarian of the Vatican Library José Tolentino Mendonça (2020), Italian physicist Fabiola Gianotti (2019), British historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes (2018), German filmmaker Wim Wenders (2017), French editorial cartoonist Jean Plantureux, known as Plantu, and Portuguese philosopher Eduardo Lourenço (ex aequo, 2016), Spanish musician and conductor Jordi Savall (2015), Turkish writer and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk (2014) and Italian writer Claudio Magris (2013).

Born in Lisbon in 1944, Maria João Pires first performed in public at the age of four. A piano student of Campos Coelho, she also studied with Francine Benoît.

As a concert and recital soloist, she became the most celebrated Portuguese pianist of all time and one of the most renowned artists internationally. In addition to her concerts, she recorded for Erato for fifteen years and for Deutsche Grammophon for twenty years.

Since the 1970s, he has dedicated himself to reflecting on the influence of art on life and communities. In 1999, he created the Belgian Center for the Study of the Arts, where he regularly offers interdisciplinary workshops for professional and amateur musicians, as well as concerts and recordings.