About me

Mariana Pinto is a violin teacher and performer based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

She started her violin studies at age 7 and graduated in from the Escola Superior de Música in Lisbon in 2012. In the academic year 2010/2011 did an Erasmus exchange at the University of Performing Arts in Vienna in the class of Professor Jan Pospíchal.

Since 2009, she has worked as a violin teacher in El Sistema-inspired programs. Her work at "Orquestra Geração" in Portugal was where her curiosity for social change and inclusion through music began.

In September 2013 she moved to Italy. From 2014 until 2017 she had the position of violin teacher and pedagogical coordinator in the program “Giovane Orchestra Spezzina” in La Spezia.

In March 2015, she graduated with a merit scholarship in a study program called Master Operatori Musicali per orchestre e cori infantili e giovanili” from Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. At the end of this program, wrote her thesis, “El Sistema and Collective Musical Learning as an Answer to Social Unease in Young People: The Importance of Self-Efficacy”. Writing the thesis has strengthened her conviction of how studying music in a group helps young people at risk develop their self-efficacy and self-achievement, improves their ability to achieve goals and realizing the choice to change life outcomes.Since 2014 she has collaborated as a teacher with the Sistema Europe in Istanbul and Milan Summer Camps.

In the academic year of 2016-2017 she graduated from the Global Leaders Program, organized by the Young Orchestra of the Americas. She obtained her certificates in Teaching Artistry, Social Entrepreneurship, and Community Engagement as well as completion of Oxford University's Social Entrepreneurship Course.The mission places were at "Side by Side 2017" Gothenburg, Sweden and "Neojiba" Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.

During her career as a violin performer attended masterclasses with renowned teachers such as Pavel Vernikov, Rainner Sonne, Marco Rizzi and played in professional and orchestras led by conductors such as Andriy Yurkevych, Paul McCreesh, Pablo Mielgo, Joana Carneiro and Jean Sebastien Béreau.

Recently has performed in Harmonia Symphony Orchestra, made from young musicians coming from different international projects, united by the spirit of "Changing lives through music". Last performance was an Opera Gala to the benefit of Sinfonia por el Peru, at the Vienna State Opera, side-by-side with musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mariana Pinto provides private violin classes at her studio in Amsterdam.

She can provide classes in Portuguese, English, Dutch and Italian.