The past five years have been the most challenging of my entire life.  

This period was shaped by my dedication to the leadership of the School of the Arts of the University of Évora, first as President of its Board of Representatives (2015-2017), and from then on as Dean of the School.

In my mind, leadership in Higher Arts Education should whenever possible be exercised alongside the enduring pursuit of one’s artistic practice, pedagogic responsibilities, and research. Notwithstanding the heightened workload that leadership positions entail, I thus continued an active artistic career as a pianist, developed significant research endeavours, and maintained my teaching functions.

Doing so sharpened my focus and working capacity, widened my emotional and intellectual horizons, and taught me that no challenge is too big if one is sincerely committed to a cause.

These multifold activities since 2015 translates into 16 publications, 9 CD’s, over 70 concerts, 24 conferences and lectures, the supervision of 8 Master’s dissertations and 4 Doctoral theses successfully concluded, i.e.

Artists and the arts have much to gain from a triple interchange: between the arts; between the arts as traditionally practiced and emerging technologies; and between countries and cultures. I strive to foster these interactions in all aspects of my activity - as an artist, and as Dean of the School of Arts. And at a time of flux, when the arts in academia are still rather underrated, these are challenges I should wish to tackle with my peers, in an active and imaginative kinship.