Composer and conductor Marco Pereira was born in Porto, Portugal in 2001. Founder of Fra Ensemble, this group emerged from his Master’s research in Composition, where he holds the roles of conductor and composer.

As a conductor, he has led various ensembles, primarily in academic settings, having collaborated in more than 20 world premieres. Between May and June 2023, he served as Assistant Conductor to maestro Jan Wierzba in ESMAE’s opera production, Ópera Real. He was the principal conductor and founder of the ESMAE Contemporary Music Extracurricular Ensemble in the 2022/2023 academic year.

As a composer, his work has stood out with ensembles such as the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, Loures Symphony Orchestra, Sintra Municipal Orchestra – D. Fernando II, ESMAE Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Sketch +351. He won the first edition of the composition competition “ABC…Compositores. Incentive to Creation Award” with the work O Mostrengo, for symphonic orchestra, performed by the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra at the São Carlos National Theatre, in Lisbon. This work was highly praised by critics, with the jury stating that “[it is] a very well-executed piece in terms of the symphonic poem concept, capable of telling a story and transporting the listener to its intended imaginative world from the very first moment, creating an action that captivates and generates anticipation for its outcome. Musically, it is very interesting in its exploration of pulse, material management, timbres, sonic possibilities, and textures.”

He has attended classes, masterclasses, and seminars with composers such as Ališer Sijarić, Annette Vande Gorne, Dirk D’ase, Igor Leão Maia, Martijn Padding, and Philippe Manoury. He studied Orchestral Conducting with the conductor Eduardo Martín Portal and is currently a student of the conductor Cesário Costa.

In 2024, he completed his Master’s in Composition at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo under the guidance of composer Rui Penha.

Currently, he is a professor at School of Music and Performing Arts (ESMAE) in Porto, where he teaches the course Introduction to Choral and Instrumental Conducting in the Bachelor’s program in Music: Composition Specialization.