References

João’s sound is beautiful.

Maria João Pires


João has an enormous natural talent as a pianist and is immensely musical. He was probably the most exciting pianist we heard in the 2006 auditions.

Rosemary Pickering, former Chief Executive, Young Concert Artists Trust


João has a natural facility as well as communicative flair and good instinct for style. I have been impressed by the way he can adapt to different situations.

Douglas Finch


João’s sensitive and artistic creative approach to music on all levels is most impressive. His playing is of very highest level musically, technically and intellectually. He is excellentely motivated with exemplary interpretative perception and magnificient artistry. He has an exemplary rapport with his audience and has real star potential as an international performer.

Yonty Solomon


João is more than just a talented musician – he is also a clear and concise thinker into issues relating not only the immediate musical performance process itself, but its social and cultural ramifications. It is rare to see a music performer with such an awareness of contextual issues.

Dr Jonathan Owen Clark


As part of the Hall’s Programming initiatives we work with promising and emerging artists who bring new ventures to the Hall. I believe that the ASSAULT project can become a model for emerging artists and inform Arts Policy making in the UK and beyond. Projects like these are vital for the arts in general. This innovative work brings a fresh approach for classical music. The Royal Albert Hall works with the best artists in the world and we choose partners very carefully to ensure that our high artistic reputation is maintained at all times. It was with great pleasure that we worked with Joao Lima Duque on this pioneering project, achieving success and gain profile for him and ASSAULT.

Lucy Noble, Head of Programming, Royal Albert Hall