Madalena de Azeredo Perdigão was born in Figueira da Foz on April 28, 1923. Her education combined a graduation in Mathematics from the Faculdade de Ciências of the Universidade de Coimbra (1944), with musical training, completing the Piano Course at the National Conservatory (1948). Her initial choice for a musical career led her to take piano lessons in Paris, with a scholarship from the Institute of High Culture (1956). A problem in her left hand forced her to abandon a promising professional career as a pianist.

She became part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 1958, at the invitation of the then President of the institution, José de Azeredo Perdigão, as director of the Music Department (1958-1974). Under this Department, she continued the I Gulbenkian Music Festival (1957-1970) – these festivals included the participation of symphonic groups and foreign performers, with world premieres of works by national and foreign composers, and presentations in various Portuguese cities -, created the Gulbenkian Orchestra (1962), Choir (1964) and Ballet (1965-2005).

After the Revolution of 25th April 1974, she abandoned the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and embraced a new challenge at the Ministry of Education (1978 and 1984), at the invitation of Mário Sottomayor Cardia, minister in function. During this period, she headed the Gabinete Coordenador do Ensino Artístico, through which she restructured artistic education in Portugal. Her connection to music and her previous experience led the then Minister of Culture and Scientific Coordination, Francisco Lucas Pires to entrust her with the organization of the I International Music Festival of Lisbon (1983).

In 1984, Madalena Perdigão returned to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, creating ACARTE – Service of Animation, Artistic Creation and Education through Art, which she directed until 1989, having realized three editions of the ACARTE – New European Theatre/Dance Meetings (1987, 1988 and 1989). Within this service, with the aim of encouraging artistic creativity in Portuguese society, she developed an ambitious and multidisciplinary program that culminated in the presentation of artistic works in the areas of dance, theatre, cinema, performance, video, literature, and music. The Children’s Artistic Centre was created under the ACARTE (1984-2002).

In 1988, she was awarded the “Women of Europe” prize, which recognized the role of a woman or a group of women from one of the European Economic Community countries who had contributed, in the previous two years, to progress within the European Union. She was awarded the following degrees of the Portuguese Honorific Orders: Commendator of the Order of Santiago da Espada (1964), Commendator of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (1983), Grand Officer of the Military Order of Santiago da Espada (1985) and Grand Cross of the Military Order of Sant’iago da Espada (1990, posthumously).

Widow of the mathematician João Farinha – one of the first scholarship holders of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – she married José de Azeredo Perdigão, President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in November 1960. She passed away in Lisbon on December 5, 1989.