Lunchtime Recital - Gonçalo Pires (Cello), Raffaele Pagano (Violin)

Programme

Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (arr. for violin and cello by Raffaele Pagano)

Zoltán Kodály - Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 – I. Allegro serioso, non troppo

Raffaele Pagano - SweetInsights

Raffaele Pagano - Onore e Gloria

Raffaele Pagano - Intuizioni

Handel/Halvorsen - Passacaglia

Biographies

Gonçalo Pires, a Portuguese cellist, studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Josephine Knight and Hannah Roberts, completing his Master’s degree in 2025. A prizewinner in several international cello competitions and recipient of the Royal Academy’s Martin/Hooton Concerto Prize, he has appeared as soloist in cello concertos by Gulda, Haydn and Dvořák. His recent orchestral work includes collaborations with English Touring Opera, Orquestra XXI and the Braga Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2026, Gonçalo gave solo and chamber music performances in London, Paris, Boston and Lisbon. He is co-founder of the award-winning Duo AccordiCello, which recorded an album in 2025. Gonçalo and Raffaele have performed together across the UK since 2025, including for the Mayor of Cambridge.

Raffaele Pagano is an Italian violinist and composer from Naples. He graduated in violin from the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella and later continued his studies in London with Hu Kun, Professor HonRAM at the Royal Academy of Music and former pupil of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. A prizewinner in more than twenty national and international competitions, Raffaele has performed as soloist, leader and orchestral musician across Italy, the UK, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and China. He served as Leader of the London Arte Chamber Orchestra and as Concertmaster of the Oxford Festival Orchestra, and is currently Leader of the London Concert Sinfonia and Maidstone and Medway Sinfonia. In 2026 he appeared at the Royal Albert Hall as leader and featured soloist with legendary Indian singer Kumar Sanu. Alongside his performing career, Raffaele is a composer whose works have been performed in the UK and Italy, including Profumo di Donna, Il Gattopardo Recomposed and Freedom for solo violin and orchestra. Raffaele and Gonçalo have performed together across the UK since 2025, including for the Mayor of Cambridge.