José Maria Bessone is a Luso-Canadian pianist whose work encompasses solo repertoire, chamber music, and vocal and instrumental collaboration, with a repertoire spanning from the eighteenth century to the present day.

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He has performed in Portugal, Spain, France, and Canada, where he currently lives. His solo and chamber music performances have been broadcast by Portuguese public radio station Antena 2 as part of the PortugalSom series. Following one of these performances, he was invited by the institution’s then-director, Dr. João Almeida, to record the solo programme Piano (a)Gosto, a music outreach project featuring works by ten composers.

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As a soloist, he has collaborated with Orchestre Vingtetun and the chamber orchestra Sylva Camerata. He has also participated in the Orford Music and Projeto:Canção festivals, performing in concerts presented as part of their artistic development programmes.

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He holds a degree from the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, where he studied with Artur Pizarro and Paulo Pacheco, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the Université de Montréal under the guidance of Jimmy Brière and Zacharie LeBlanc.

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His interest in early music, the exploration of the possibilities of harmony and counterpoint, and the symphonic dimension of music has also led him to study harpsichord with Élisabeth Joyé, historical-style improvisation with António Esteireiro, and orchestral conducting with Jean-Marc Burfin.

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He has received study and merit scholarships from Fundação GDA, Lions Clube Figueira da Foz Centro, and the Université de Montréal.

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Alongside his concert career, he is also active as a music educator. He has taught at the Conservatório de Lisboa and currently teaches at the École des Jeunes of the Université de Montréal, while also maintaining a private piano studio.