André Cruz

André was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1988. He began his piano studies at the age of five until he was nine. Since then, he devoted his time to choirs. At the age of seventeen, he started conducting the Staccato Ensemble vocal group and, since 2007, became a member of the Lisboa Cantat Symphonic Choir. At the age of eighteen, he started the Singing course at the National Conservatory Music School in Lisbon, Portugal. Since 2011, became a member of the Lisboa Cantat Chamber Choir and also a member of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Choir. Academically he has performed also in Interpretation Masterclasses with the conductor Armando Vidal and João Paulo Santos and in Kurt Thomas Course (conducting course) as soloist. In 2014, André was a member of Meesters & Gezellen and Tenso Europe Chamber Choir unde guidance of Kaspars Putniņš. Currently, Andre just finished Choir Conducting with Rob Vermeulen at Utrecht’s Conservatory and became accepted as a Master student in Baroque Singing with Rita Dams at Royal Conservatoire of the Hague. In Germany has been working as vocal coach. During his conducting studies has already presented a project from scratch, the première in the Netherlands of the Portuguese Opera "A Vingança da Cigana", as well as conducted works from composition students from the Conservatoire of Utrecht .