Isabel Pimentel studied at the Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa, where she was a student of Lídia de Carvalho, and completed the General Course with distinction. She then opted for the viola, and studied at first with François Broos, a course she also completed with a high classification. She later continued her training privately with this same master, and also studied ancient music with Santiago Kastner. In 1988, she received 1st Prize for Viola (Advanced) in the Concurso da Juventude Musical Portuguesa. In 2000, she graduated in Viola from Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa.

She has performed regularly in recitals with piano and played with various chamber music ensembles. She has performed solo with the Orquestra Sinfónica da RDP and with the Gulbenkian Orchestra. She has been a member of the Gulbenkian Orchestra since 1980, and is currently 2nd Soloist. She is a viola teacher at the Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa and a member of the Quarteto Lopes-Graça.

 

March 2011