He moved to Paris where he attended the Conservatoire. He studied under Jacqueline Lefèvre and maestro Ivry Gitlis. During his Paris period, he met regularly with Yehudi Menuhin, who provided guidance in his career as an artist and violinist.
He was invited by the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, to participate in the Semmering Festival. Also in Austria, he worked with violinist Dora Schwarzberg and pianist Yuri Smirnov. He also participated in masterclasses directed by violinist Shlomo Mintz.
He gave the Parisian premiere of the Violin Concerto written by Portuguese composer Luís de Freitas Branco. He has premiered works by modern composers such as Jacques Chayllé, Gracia Finzi, Michel Merlet, Jean Jacques Werner, Jacques Bondon and Sérgio Azevedo.
Carlos Damas has recorded extensively, placing a clear emphasis on the dissemination of the repertoire written by Portuguese composers. His recordings have been released by Naxos, Brilliant Classics, Et’cetera and Dux.
Has played as soloist all over Europe, North America and Asia with orchestras such as the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Jeune Philharmonie (Val de Marne-Paris), Winnipeg Symphony, North Dakota International Music Camp Orchestra, St. Luke's Orchestra, Camerata de St. Severin (Paris), Orchestre Internationale de La Cité (Paris), Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (China), Macao Orchestra, Mission Chamber Orchestra (San José, California) and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Carlos Damas has performed in prestigious concert halls, such as the Shangai Oriental Arts Center (SHOAC), Salle Gaveau and Salle Cortot (Paris), UNESCO Grand Auditorium, Centro Cultural de Belém and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal), Lee Hysan Concert Hall in Hong-Kong, D. Pedro V Theater (Macau), Lincoln Center (USA), Oriental Art Center (Shanghai) and Ville Louvigy (Philharmonique du Luxembourg).
In addition to his activity as concert violinist, Carlos Damas is currently a researcher at the Centro de Estudos e Estetica Musical at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and served with the Board of ANSO/Metropolitana between 2013 and 2016.
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