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Details as performer
Lopes e Silva studied classical guitar with Emilio Pujol at Lisbon’s National Conservatory and did his musical studies with Fernanda Chichorro. In 1959 and 1960 he attended the Santiago de Compostela courses by Andrés Segovia as a scholarship holder from the Madrid Cultural Institute and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 1962 he established himself in Brazil and carried on his studies at São Paulo’s main conservatories, where he was also a teacher. He also attended Safford Cape’s Ancient Music courses.

After 1970, Lopes e Silva dedicated himself to studying contemporary music and new music trends. He studied with Jorge Peixinho, Álvaro Salazar, Luís de Pablo and Filipe Pires. In 1975, supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, he travelled to West Germany to participate in information and interpretation courses concerning contemporary guitar music. A year later he attended the Darmstadt Summer Courses where he worked with György Ligeti, Mauricio Kagel and Cristóbal Halffter

Lopes e Silva was an important member of Jorge Peixinho’s Lisbon Contemporary Music Group, since the ensemble's foundation. In 1972 he became a teacher at the Lisbon National Conservatory.

Lopes e Silva's work Epígono I (Epigone I) was selected and performed at the International World Music Days Festival in 1980 in Israel. As musician / guitarist he gave numerous concerts, either solo or with the Lisbon Contemporary Music Group, in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Finland, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Israel and Italy.

José Lopes e Silva was one of the pioneers of New Music in Portugal. He composed numerous works, above all for solo guitar, and also within the genres of chamber, electroacoustic and vocal music, as well as musical theatre.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Interview to José Lopes e Silva by Helena Lopes Braga (Glosas · September 2012) · In Portuguese