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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 2026, 4:00 PM
Jazz Studies Centre of the University of Aveiro – João Tavares Quintet
Guimarães Jazz’s partnership with the University of Aveiro, through its Jazz Studies Centre and, more specifically, the International Jazz Competition (CIJ) organised by the Centre, is a project rooted in the festival’s commitment to engaging with civil society institutions and providing visibility to emerging generations of Portuguese jazz musicians. In this edition, we will present the group that, in 2026, received the awards for Best Ensemble and Best Arrangement at the CIJ — a quintet led by trumpeter João Tavares, whose musical language brings together the tradition of jazz and contemporary approaches, with improvisation and interaction between the musicians playing a central role.
João Tavares (b. 2004) is a trumpeter with an extensive educational background that began at the age of just three and developed through several stages, including studies at the Oliveira de Azeméis Music Academy, the Espinho Professional School of Music, and ESMAE, as well as numerous masterclasses with renowned musicians from the contemporary jazz scene. In terms of his musical activity, Tavares has developed creative work as a member of the group RUTE and occasionally collaborates with the Espinho Jazz Orchestra. He has also had the opportunity to perform live alongside prominent names in music such as Cristina Branco, Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano, and Mário Laginha, among others.
Currently still pursuing a degree in Jazz at ESMAE, Vicente Almeida (b. 2006) is a pianist trained at the Porto Conservatory of Music who, despite being at an early stage in his musical career, has already built an interesting record of performances at leading venues on the Portuguese jazz circuit, as a member of the ESMAE Jazz Ensemble and the ESMAE Big Band.
Saxophonist Lucas Oliveira (b. 2004, Ovar) studied at the Espinho Professional School of Music and ESMAE and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Jazz Saxophone at the prestigious Amsterdam Conservatory. An occasional collaborator with the Espinho Jazz Orchestra, Oliveira has been a member of the RUTE quintet and the João Rocha Quartet, with which he won the CIJ award for Best Ensemble. He also leads his own group, “Onoma”, with which he has released one album to date.
Trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and ESMAE, double bassist and composer Gonçalo Cravinho is an active presence on the Portuguese jazz scene through a wide range of projects, both under his own name — as a solo artist and in trio — and as a member of jazz and classical orchestras, as well as ensembles such as XauXauDodô and the OCENPSIEA collective. In addition to his strictly musical activities, Cravinho is the founder and director of JAM Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble dedicated to fostering and promoting music in the Minho region.
Free admission, subject to venue capacity.
Tickets (maximum of 2 per person) can be collected at the Palácio Vila Flor box office one hour before the concert begins.
Ages 6 and up
João Tavares (trumpet)
João Rocha (drums)
Lucas Oliveira (saxophone)
Gonçalo Cravinho (double bass)
Vicente Almeida (piano)