Full Bio

André Lousada is an international conductor whose performances are described as "dynamic, powerful, and emotional," with rehearsals that are "well-planned, efficient, and smooth," resulting in music that "sings freely, yet has regularity.”

He served as the Musical Director of the Fátima Classical Orchestra during its first season in 2016-2017, where he conducted the final concert for Pope Francis during the centenary commemorations of the Apparitions in Fátima.

Previous assignments as cover conductor include working with world-renowned artists such as mezzo-soprano Denyse Graves and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and from 2013-2014 he was Assistant conductor to pianist and Maestro Leon Fleisher.

Mr. Lousada's other experiences include serving as Assistant Conductor at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore from 2012 to 2014, as well as cover conductor at Lyric Opera House in Baltimore and with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2013. He also worked as the Assistant Director of Orchestras at the State University of New York at Fredonia and as the Assistant Conductor for the Hillman Opera Company and Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra from 2010 to 2012.

With a wealth of education and training, he has honed his musical expertise across multiple institutions. Notably, he earned a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, studying under the renowned Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar. He also received a Master of Music degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia, a Certificate in Conducting from the Prague Conservatory, as well as Bachelor's and Licentiate degrees in Musical Direction from the Superior Conservatory of Gaia.

Demonstrating his commitment to nurturing future generations of musicians, Mr. Lousada has embraced numerous teaching opportunities throughout his career. He provided instruction in beginning conducting at the State University of New York at Fredonia from 2010 to 2012 and served as an Orchestra, Choir, and Chamber Music Teacher at the Fátima Conservatory in Portugal from 2014 to 2017. Adding to his impressive pedagogical endeavors, he assumed the role of a Youth Orchestra Instructor for the Músicos d'Ouro social action music program in Gondomar, Portugal, from 2020 to 2021. Presently, he serves as a Preschool Music educator at Kspace International in Tokyo, Japan, where he instills a profound love for music in young learners, igniting their passion for the art form.

Underscoring his deep devotion to the preservation and promotion of Portuguese classical music, Mr. Lousada is presently engrossed in an extraordinary project. He is spearheading the critical editions of the orchestral works of João Domingos Bomtempo, a seminal figure often heralded as the "Portuguese Beethoven." This groundbreaking initiative seeks to elevate the dissemination of Portugal's musical heritage and bestow upon Bomtempo the recognition he unequivocally deserves.

May 2023