The team

Isabel Canto de Loura

Functions :

CEO and Pedagogical Director
STEM/STREAM Teacher
cello teacher
Opera School Coordinator
Conductor of the Junior Cello Ensemble
English teacher

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Profession: Biologist / Profession: Music

PhD in Technological Biology [academic course started with a British degree in Biology and Applied Ecology, followed by a French Masters and PhD in Biological Oceanography and Marine Biotechnology with a specialization in Phycology (ie Algae)]. She also holds a British postgraduate degree at Renewable Energies: Hydro and Marine Energies. Additional expertise in Natural Resource Management and Sustainability (ESG). Academic career as Associate Professor/Principal Lecturer, Department Director and Research Coordinator at international Universities since 1992. Certified by the IEFP of Portugal as a Science teacher and as a teacher trainer in Science Teaching since 1998, and recognized professor with the degree of Senior Fellow at Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), UK.

Music: She started music studies at 3 years old at FMAC, and at 5 years old joined the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, where she studied Musical Education, Piano, Viola de Gamba, and Cello, and has been part of the Gulbenkian Children's Choir since its formation in 1962. Completed the general course in Music at the National Conservatory of Music in Lisbon (main instrument: Cello). She was 1st cello of the Orquestra do Conservatorio, and worked as cello tutti in the National Youth Symphonic Orchestra. At the age of 16, she joined the Gulbenkian Choir as 2nd soprano. She studied choral conducting with conductor Michel Corboz, and participated as a student in several master classes of cello and baroque cello in Portugal, France, and England. She was a student of Maria de Macedo, Elias Arizcuren, Clélia Vital, Eileen Parkhouse, and Hidemi Suzuki.

English Teacher: In her childhood and youth, she studied in Portuguese-British education, lived and studied in London, where she graduated. completed the Proficiency in English course with distinction at age 16, having also completed her training as an EFL Teacher with distinction, specializing in teaching English to children. Worked as an English teacher at Kids club; and in British Councili centers in London. She also specialized in teaching Technical English/Business English, having trained and worked as Wall Street-corporate teacher. She also has extensive experience in technical translations.

She is a keen horse-rider (dressage mostly) and is a PADI SCUBA diving instructor too.

Joana Mendes Vitorino

Assistant STEM/STREAM

mini CV

Student and Physical Engineering at the Faculty of Sciences of Universodade in Lisbon.

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Sofia de Castro

Teacher at the Opera STELLARIA School

Course Superior of Music (Lyrical Singing) by the National Conservatory of Music in Lisbon

Co-founder and director of the Lisbon Music School

During her career as an opera singer, she has worked with renowned national and international conductors and opera singers.

LANGUAGES: Portuguese, English, French

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Diogo Brandão Soares

Transverse flute teacher

He studied at the Espinho Professional School of Music, and at the Lemmensinstituut - LUCA School of Arts (Belgium).

Licensed by the Superior National Academy of Orchestra.

He collaborated with several orchestras, conductors and national and international artists.

He was guided by some of the most renowned musicians in his field.

LANGUAGES: Portuguese, English, French

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João Miguel Sousa

Trumpet Teacher

Masters in Music Teaching: Trumpet by Nossa Senhora do Cabo Music School (EMNSC)

Currently he is part of the Light Army Orchestra.

Born in Baião, began his musical studies at age 11, at the Escola de Música da Banda Marcial de Ancede. He continued his studies at the Conservatory of Music in Porto.

He attended a degree in Trumpet at the Lisbon Superior School of Music, under the guidance of professors Stephen Mason and David Burt. In 2020 he completed a Masters in Music Teaching - Trumpet at the same school.

He participated in several Masterclasses and Improvement Stages, with trumpet players Jorge Almeida, Pierre Dutot, Sérgio Pacheco, Giuliano Sommerhalder, Michael Sachs, Clément Saunier, Kevin Wauldron, Sérgio Charrinho, Fred Sautter, Christopher Deacon, Telmo Barbosa, Nuno Silva, João Pedro Villain, Pedro Tavares, João Mogo, Gileno Santana, Pacho Flores and Fabio Brum.

He was awarded in several internal competitions (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013), at the Conservatório de Música do Porto, in the categories of Wind - Metals and Chamber Music. He was also the winner of the “Bolsa BPI” competition, in 2012, at the Conservatório de Música do Porto. He was also awarded in 2012, in the Youth category, in the Trumpet competition, in Póvoa de Varzim and was a finalist in the Yamaha Scholarship in 2015.

Collaborated with several orchestras: Northern Orchestra; Orchestra of Almada; Youth Symphony Orchestra; Zurich Youth Symphony Orchestra; WESO (West European Symphony Orchestra); Youth Orchestra of the Official National Music Conservatories (OJ.Com); Wind, Symphony, Chamber Music and Jazz Orchestras, at the Conservatório de Música do Porto; Wind Orchestras, Symphony and Trumpet and Metal Ensemble, from the Lisbon Superior School of Music;

He is also part of the Baião Wind and Percussion Orchestra, under which he performed solo in 2015 under the direction of conductor José Eduardo Gomes.

He is currently a member of the Light Army Orchestra and teaches Trumpet and Piano at Colégio São Tomás.

LANGUAGES: Portuguese, English, French.

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Svetlana Potemkina

Sculpture and Painting Teacher for Children and Youth

LANGUAGES: Portuguese, English, French, Russian