The ceremony awarding the Helena Vaz da Silva European Prize for the Dissemination of Cultural Heritage to the Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires will take place tomorrow, November 1st, at 5pm in Auditorium 2 of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Entry is open to the public and free. This is a prize awarded by the National Culture Center (CNC).
The winner of this award was announced on September 12th, with the jury highlighting that “Maria João Pires is one of the most poetic and influential pianists in Europe. In addition to being an extraordinary performer, she is a visionary educator, a cultural thinker and a silent revolutionary in the field of musical heritage”.
The jury, chaired by Maria Calado, president of the CNC, also said that the pianist’s career is “deeply rooted in the values of empathy, inclusion and artistic excellence”.
The prize is awarded by the National Culture Center, which celebrates its 80th anniversary, and which will honor in the same ceremony at the Gulbenlkian the three Portuguese winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra 2025 Awards: the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom – Fortaleza de Peniche, in the Conservation and Adaptation to new uses category; the Saber Fazer Program, in the Education, Training and Skills category; o Almalaguês – Weaving the future with the tapestry of time, Coimbra, in the Citizen Involvement and Awareness category.