Mário Franco started music lessons at the age of 4 in Centro de Estudos Gregorianos. After one year in Lisbon Conservatory where he studied harp, singing and music theory he went on to Academia de Amadores de Música, where he continued his studies in music theory with Cristina Brito da Cruz and he started double bass lessons with Fernando Flores, and composition with Pedro Rocha as well as studying chamber music.
He subsequently became interested in jazz. and became a member of the Lisbon Hot Club. After having bass guitar lessons with António Ferro he began taking Double bass lessons with David Gausden and playing in jam sessions; also took part in workshops with Rufus Reid, Niels Henning, Orsted Pederson, Eberhard Weber, etc.
In 1986-87 attended double-bass courses given by Ludwig Streicher in Estoril and in 1988 won 1st prize in the Prémio Jovens Músicos (Young Musicians Competition); later became a member of Orquestra Sinfónica Juvenil where he worked on classical repertory with conductor Christopher Bochmann.
Also worked with conductors Silva Pereira, Miguel Graça Moura, Alberto Nunes, Roberto Perez, Michel Swierczewski, Cesário Costa...
As from 1984 plays jazz and improvised music in Portugal and abroad with musicians such as António Pinho Vargas, Mário Laginha, João Paulo Esteves de Silva, Bernardo Sasseti, Benny Lackner, Carlo Morena, Luis Barrigas, Luis Figueiredo, Dan Hewson, Carlos Martins, Tomás Pimentel, Maria João, Luigi Waites, Louis Stewart, Tommy Halferty, John Wadham, Zlatko Kaucic, Peter Guidi, Sérgio Pelágio, António Pinto, José Peixoto, Desidério Lázaro, Jarmo Savolainen, Markku Ounaskari, Jim Leff, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Samuel Rohrer, Paolo Fresu, Daniel Erdmann, Julian Argüelles, Andy Sheppard, Myra Melford, Jon Irabagon, David Binney, Peter Epstein, Ralph Towner, among others.
Appeared on TV and played live radio broadcasts in Portugal.
In 1990 presented his first project based on original compositions; was awarded 1st prize for his group and 2nd prize for composition in the competition“ A Juventude e a Música“ (Young People and Music).
Has an entry of his own in a book by musicologist Jorge Lima Barreto, “MusaLusa”, Hugin 1997, Lisboa.
Is mentioned for his work with Tomás Pimentel in the bilingual quarterly journal “The Role of Jazz” written by José Duarte, edited by Edições Cotovia, Lda. Lisboa, 1998.
Has performed outside Portugal, for instance in Macau, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Norway, Brazil, Russia… Has participated in some of Portugal's most important music festivals such as:
Festival de Música dos Capuchos 1985; Jazz na Cidade 1988 and 1990; 5 ª Jornadas Internacionais da Oficina Musical 90; Lisboa em Jazz 90; Encontros de Jazz do Algarve 91; 16º Encontros Gulbenkian de Música Contemporânea 92 (Fundação Gulbenkian); 3º Festival de Jazz Europeu no Porto 93; Jazz no Parque, 3ª edição (Fundação Serralves) 95; Festas de Lisboa 95 and 96; Festa do Avante 90, 94, 96 and 14 ; Seixal Jazz Festival in 98 and 05; Festival Internacional de Jazz de Faro in 99 “Jazz no Inverno”; Musicalidades 01; Jazz em Agosto (Gulbenkian Foundation) 87, 88, 90, 95 and 05; in 3º and 5º Maio Jazz Almodovar 05 and 07; Festival de Jazz de Estremoz 06 and 08; Formas – Feira de Artes Performativas 08; International Film Festival IndieLisboa 07; 10º Festival de Jazz de Valado de Frades 07; 11º Matosinhos em Jazz 07; 1º Festival de Jazz de Sines 07; Festival Quarta Parede (Covilhã) Y#5, Y#11 07 and 14; 1º Ciclo de concertos “O Som das Musas” Vila Flor 07; 2º Festival Internacional de Palmela 07; Mudas Jazz Sessions (Madeira) 08; Jazz às 5 as CCB 08 and 10; 1ª Feira de Artes Performativas de Tavira 08 and 10; Festival Internacional de Marionetas 08; Festival Internacional de Música dos Açores 09; 6º Festival Terras sem Sombra 10; Ciclo de Jazz do Fundão 09; Festival Jazz.pt 08 and 10; Portugal Jazz 07, 09 and 10; Ciclos de Jazz (Quinta da Regaleira) 11, 12, 13 and 14; Jazz no Palácio 10 and 14; Jazz à Marinha 10 and 15; XIII Festival de Música Antígua de Gijón (Spain) 10; Ciclo de Música de Verão (Almada) 11; Festival “Os Sons de Almada Velha” 13 and 16; Música in Patrimonium Festival (Almodôvar) 11; Cascais Cool Jazz Fest 11; Festival de Sablé (France) 12; Abulensis Festival Internacional de Música Ávila (Spain) 12; Gent Festival of Flanders (Belgium) 12; Festa do Jazz 06, 12, 16 and 17; 31 Festival Música Em Leiria 13; Festival Abril Jazz Mil 13 and 15; 2º Festival Fora do Lugar 13 and 16; 1º Festival Sintoma Records 13; Chekhov International Theatre Festival - Program 13 (Moscow); Ruas Floridas Redondo 13; Festival ao Largo 12 and 13; CCB / Dias da Música 14, 15, 16 and 17; Noites Azuladas no Cargaleiro 14 and 15; Early Music Festival in Prague (Czech Republic) 14; Quebra Jazz (Coimbra) 14 and 17; Philharmonie Luxembourg Salle de Musique de Chambre (Luxembourg) 14; Mostra de Cultura Portuguesa em Madrid (Spain) 14; Lisbon International Contemporary Dance 15; JAZZUS – 1º Festival de Jazz AEFBAUL 15; Ciclo de concertos Reencontros (Sintra) 15; PJM (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian) 15 and 16; Festival Douro Jazz 15; “Jazz +351” Jazz Cycle – Culturgest 16 and 17; Festival de Jazz de Minde 16 and 17; Espinho International Music Festival – 42º FIME 16; Angra Jazz 16; Festival Música em São Roque 16; Antena 2 Music Festival 17; – Ciclo in Jazz – (Guarda) 17; De Bijloke Muziekcentrum (Belgium) 17...
Since 1987 he keeps working periodically with Pedro Caldeira Cabral, who explores the repertoire for Portuguese Guitar from the XVI century until our days.
He also played with the Portuguese guitar players António Chaínho, Miguel Amaral, Luís Guerreiro and the acoustic guitar player Diogo Clemente.
Mário Franco has worked also with the following singers: Sérgio Godinho, Uxia, Eugénia Melo e Castro, Filipa Pais, Vitorino, Fernando Tordo, Lura, Vânia Fernandes, Sofia Vitória, Carminho, Camané, José Manuel Barreto...
Also composes for Dance and Theatre.
His most important works are “Nine Dancers Facing a Mirror” with choreographer David Fielding (1999).
”Frida Khalo”* staged by Nuno Carinhas for “Cão Solteiro” theater company(1999). “Para a Mónica” with musicians Bernardo Sassetti, Mário Delgado, André Sousa Machado, José Peixoto and Filipa Pais. (2002), a project composed and recorded as a tribute to choreographer Mónica Lapa.
“Nocturno Delirante”* also staged by Nuno Carinhas for “Cão Solteiro” theather company (2004). *Both ”Frida Khalo” and “Nocturno Delirante” were considered by the critics to be in the top 10 best performances of their respective years.
In 2006 created two new pieces for Dance: “Bern nº49, Kramgasse” for choreographer Claúdia Nóvoa. “Vent” for dancers Filipa Castro and Carlos Pinillos was presented at XI International Ballet Festival of Miami. This ballet continues to be performed in famous Galas in Germany, Russia and USA among others countries, and has more performances scheduled for 2014. He wrote some arrangements for the portuguese Heavy Metal group Alkateya for their album “Lycantrophy”. In the same year Tone of a Pitch Records edited his first CD as a leader, “This Life”, with Jesse Chandler, André Fernandes, João Lencastre, João Gomes and includes NY based David Binney. This recording, consisting entirely of original compositions, was considered, by theAmerican magazine All About Jazz, one of the best CDs of 2006, as well as by the Portuguese newspapers Expresso, Público and the bimonthly magazine Jazz.pt. A group of national critics, in the JazzLogical site voted it the second best CD of that year.
2008 started with the recording of another piece for choreographer Claúdia Nóvoa “Olhos de Areia” presented at CCB (Centro Cultural de Belém) in January. In the same year he also worked as a dancer, musician and composer in the ballet “Come Together” by the choreographer Rui Horta for the National Ballet Company of Portugal (CNB). In December 2008 he composed the music of “Xirtam” a ballet by choreographer Xavier Carmo for the Quorum Ballet company.
In 2009 starts his collaboration with the Early and Contemporary Music Consort “Sete Lágrimas”. In the same year he starts a new piece for portuguese choreographer Alina Lagoas. He continues his collaboration with several projects as a sideman and he starts his new musical project as a leader with Julian Argüelles, Sérgio Pelágio, João Paulo and Alexandre Frazão.
In 2010 starts his new project “Lux Perpetua” a project where he uses the freedom of the Jazz language to explore different musical contexts and aesthetics. In the same year he was invited by famous Portuguese stage director Ricardo Pais to participate in “Sombras“ choreographed by Paulo Ribeiro; in this performance, which has been presented in Portugal and France (Theâtre de la Ville), he danced and also played music by Mário Laginha. He starts a new project “Cine Qua Non” as co-leader with Paula Sousa, João Paulo Esteves da Silva and Afonso Pais. As a sideman he continues working in Desidério Lázaro Trio with Luis Candeias. With Luis Barrigas Trio won 1st prize in the Prémio Luis Villas Boas 2010 edition. He appeared on TV talk Show Bairro Alto.
In 2011 composed a piece for vibraphone solo for “Dó Ré Mi” a project involving dance and music for children aged 0 – 3 with choreographer Fernando Duarte. Also continued his activity as a sideman with artists like Myra Melford and recorded with singers Sofia Vitória, José Manuel Barretto and Carminho.
In 2012 he continued touring with “Sombras“ to Brazil (São Paulo and Santos) and with Sete Lágrimas he participated in some of the best European music festivals, like W. A. Mozart Festival in Rovereto (Italy), Festival de Sablé (France), Gent Festival of Flanders (Belgium)
In 2013 with “Sombras“ participated as a dancer and musician in the famous russian festival (Chekhov International Theatre Festival - Program 2013). In “THE LECTURE”, film written and directed by Bruno de Almeida, Mário Franco wrote the original music score. This short a commision by Guimarães-2012 - Indie Lisboa’13 at 10th International Independent Film Festival, 18 – 28 April) in Cinema São Jorge (Lisboa). “Our Door” is Mário Franco’s new album for TOAP Records as a leader, recorded in 2013 and includes Sérgio Pelágio (guitar) and André Sousa Machado (drums).
In 2014 he continues touring with his Trio in Portugal and was also invited Andy Sheppard to join the band for some concerts. He continues his collaboration with several projects as a sideman with Desidério Lázaro's new project “Subtractive Colors”; with Luis Figueiredo; (Lado B project); with Beatriz Nunes; with Sete Lágrimas touring in Czech Republic and Luxembourg; with Mário Laginha Novo Trio. He also started a new project in Trio with João Paulo and Samuel Rohrer. In 2015 he continued touring with “Sombras” again in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). He also started a collaboration with Vera Morais (flute) and Francisco Sassetti (piano) and with this Trio they arranged music by Portuguese composers connected with Portuguese cinema. He also was part of the team responsible for the creation of project “A Fada Oriana” (Ballet for Schools) based on the fairy tale by portuguese author Sophia de Mello Breyner.
In 2016 starts with the recording of Luis Barrigas new project “Songs With and Without Words”. Also continued his activity as a sideman with artists like Sete Lágrimas, Beatriz Nunes, Pedro Madaleno, Georgios Anamateros, Desidério Lázaro, João Paulo and he starts rehearsing for his new music project “Rush”.
In 2017 he starts a new dance/music project for Schools (CNB National Ballet of Portugal / São Carlos Theatre) in collaboration with his coleague musician/composer Duncan Fox and dancers Catarina Lourenço, Mariana Paz, Maria João Pinto. Together they create “Kamiyo do Rio” based on a tradicional African story. Choreography by Mario Franco and music by Portuguese composers Francisco de Lacerda and Luis de Freitas Branco arranged by Duncan Fox for small ensemble. Also continued his activity as a sideman with artists like Sete Lágrimas, Beatriz Nunes, Luís Figueiredo, Rita Maria, Luis Barrigas, Cine Qua Non, Bruno Pernadas, João Paulo... “Rush” is his new album as a leader for Nischo Records, with Sérgio Pelágio (guitar), Óscar Graça (piano and electronics), Luís Figueiredo (rhodes, hammond organ, philicorda, other keyboards), Alexandre Frazão (drums, percussion).
He composes for Dance and Theatre, and since 2013 also for Cinema (“A Palestra” by director Bruno de Almeida).
Besides his work as a musician and composer he is also a dancer from the National Ballet Company of Portugal since 1986 where he started his professional activity first as an apprentice then was promoted progressively to corps de ballet, demi-soliste and is currently a principal dancer since 1995.
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Mário Franco 
