Vasco Canastra

Vasco Mendes Canastra is a Portuguese violinist from Porto.

He began his musical studies in May 2011, studying violin with Professor João Paz. Four years later, he continued his studies with violin teacher Pedro Rocha. From 2015 to 2019, he studied at the Academia de Música de Costa Cabral (AMCC) under Professor Sergey Arutyunyan, where he completed the Professional Course of Music. He also received private tuition from Yossif Grinmann. In Portugal, Vasco was selected for the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra from 2018 to 2020, working with Maestro Cesário Costa. With this orchestra, he participated in three national tours, performing in some of Portugal’s most prestigious concert venues. In January 2020, he performed at the ONU event “Lisbon, Green Capital of the European Union". In April 2019, he was selected for the Orchestra of the Festival Dias da Música, touring Porto and Coimbra, with a final concert at the Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon. He was also a member of the Academia de Música de Costa Cabral Symphony Orchestra for four years, performing in major Portuguese concert halls and concluding a national tour at the Calouste GulbenkianFoundation in Lisbon for the Festival Jovens Músicos. In 2019, he was selected internationally to participate in BISYOC (European Intercultural Youth Orchestral) in North Macedonia. Between 2020 and 2023, Vasco studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the class of Professor Nathaniel Vallois. During this time, he was awarded the Meher Rohi Gazder Scholarship (2022), recognizing outstanding and promising violinists. His professional leadership experience includes serving as Concertmaster of the RBC Spring Opera Festival under conductor Paul Wingfield. He was also a member of the orchestra for the second edition of the Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition, conducted by Angus Webster, and performed as a tutti member of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. He had chamber music with Robin Ireland and collaborated with Olliver Wille, Tim Smedly, Quartour Agate and many others. In 2023, Vasco was accepted into the Erasmus+ program at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, where he later transferred and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance in 2025, studying with Professor Tamar Bulia, studied string quartet with Nodar Jvania, and contemporary music with Nino Jvania. He gave his solo debut recital at Steinway & Sons, Tbilisi, with pianist Nino Jvania. He has performed as a tutti member of the Tbilisi Youth Orchestra, working with conductor Mirian Khukhunaishvili. With Tbilisi Youth Orchestra, he had the chance to collaborate with Gidon Kremer, he also participated in the Toradze Music Festival with Paavo Järvi, the Tsinandali Music Festival under conductor Claudio Vandelli, Young Euro Classic 2025 in Berlin, and the Telavi Music Festival, collaborating with Eliso Virsaladze. He has also performed with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Ariel Zuckerman. Additionally, he participated in the Académie Musicale de Morges, collaborating with Rainer Schmidt and receiving chamber music coaching from Aurore Grosclaude. Vasco Canastra has collaborated with numerous internationally renowned artists, including Paavo Järvi, Gidon Kremer, Eliso Virsaladze, Aida Garifullina, Fedor Rudin, Michael Barenboim, Bruce Liu, Tero Latvala, Rainer Schmidt, Ariel Zuckerman, Quatuor Agate, Ani Schnarch, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Oliver Wille, Afonso Fesch, Sergey Levitin, Zofia Wóycicka, and Robin Ireland.

Teaching has interested me since day one. Alongside my performance studies, I formally studied pedagogy at university, which strengthened my understanding of how students learn, develop technique, and build long-term musical independence. Since the age of 15, I have been actively helping and teaching students of different ages and levels, both informally and in structured settings.

My teaching style is student-centered, methodical, and adaptable, focusing on solid technical foundations, healthy posture and sound production, and musical curiosity. I aim to help students understand why they play a certain way, encouraging critical thinking rather than imitation alone. I place strong emphasis on listening skills, efficient practice strategies, and confidence-building, while tailoring repertoire and technical work to each student’s individual needs and goals.

Teaching is not secondary to my performing career—it is something I genuinely value and would love to pursue full time as part of my professional life.