Born in 1944 in Lisbon, Maria João Pires first performed in public at the age of four and began her music and piano studies with Campos Coelho and Francine Benoît, continuing in Germany with Rosl Schmid and Karl Engel. In addition to his concerts, he has made recordings for Erato for fifteen years and for Deutsche Grammophon for twenty years.

Since the 1970s, he has devoted himself to reflecting on the influence of art in life, community and education, trying to discover new ways of affirming this way of thinking in society. He sought new ways that, while respecting the development of individuals and cultures, would encourage the sharing of ideas.

In 1999 he created the Belgais Centre for the Study of the Arts in Portugal. It regularly offers interdisciplinary workshops for professional musicians and music lovers. Regular concerts and recordings are held in the Belgais concert hall and shared with the international digital community (paid and unpaid).

In 2012, he started two complementary projects in Belgium: the Partitura Choirs, a project that creates and develops choirs for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the Partitura Workshops. All of Partitura's projects aim to create a collaborative dynamic between artists of different generations, offering an alternative in a world too often focused on competitiveness. This philosophy is spread around the world through Partitura's projects and workshops.

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