FRANCISCO PIRES

PERSONAL DETAILS
Full name

: PIRES, FRANCISCO Manuel Prego de Ocha e Azevedo

Nationality

: Portuguese (born in Lourenzo Marques, Mozambique)

DOB

: December 17, 1962

Marital status

: Married

Address

: Rua Augusto Gil, 41 4460-211 Senhora da Hora, Porto,

Portugal
Mob.

: (+355) 932 687 548 / (+355) 964 644 718

Fax.

: (+355) 220 125 439

E-Mail

: abcd@clix.pt

PROFILE
My career has led me to specialize increasingly in the management of
complex multi-cultural projects and their staffs at international levels. I have
experience in: strategic forward-planning; operating within the tight financial
disciplines imposed by ambitious budgets which I have helped to plan;
methodical administration to deadlines (not to speak of crisis management
where necessary); and the application of modern leadership methods
(through staff motivation and involvement in both decision-making and
target-setting, clarity in communication, and easy personal inter-relations).
My own cosmopolitan background and analytical interests in other cultures,
together with a command of several European languages, have also left me
confident in handling negotiations that require the reconciliation of different
national approaches to otherwise common problems.
SKILLS BASE

Familiarity with both the artistic and the commercial worlds, the culture

of government, and European regulations

Tested management techniques in both continental and British

contexts
Proven leadership and human management skills
Budget design and monitoring

Time-efficient, systematic working methodology

Rapid adaptability to new problem-solving and new locations
Languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, and Italian
IT: Word, Excel, Windows
Clean driving license

PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Head of Public and Building Services at The Casa da Msica ConcertHall (Porto)
September 2006 Present
Head of Public Services at the Casa da Msica, responsible for:

Coordination and management of the Front of the House staff team

and services
Coordination and management of the information desk and call centre

team
Coordination and management of the guided building tours team
Coordination and management of the commercial department, which is
responsible for the commercial exploitation of The Casa da Msicas

facilities, either for private or corporate functions, shows, etc.

Coordination and management of the contracts and activities of the
outsourcing companies responsible for the catering and parking at The
Casa da Msica.

Head of Building Services at the Casa da Msica, responsible for:

Coordination and management of the Maintenance team, responsible

for the buildings maintenance.

Coordination and management of the outsourcing companies of
Security and Cleaning.

Consultant

for

multi-cultural

projects

mainly

in

the

following

matters:

Strategic Planning for multi-cultural projects.

Establishing a venues main purpose in line with the artistic project;
Definition of a buildings specifications for architectural programmes;
Design and planning of the organizational structure and future
operational strategy for the uses of activities in different venues.

Planning and definition of requisite profiles for different departments,

from Production and Maintenance to Marketing and Front of House
staff.

Creator and Director of the course Specialization on Production and

Management of Performing Arts Events, held at Universidade
Lusfona the largest private University in Portugal. This course provides
wide information about the different aspects and specialized matters involved
in the management and production of cultural events and venues.
Production and Operational Director of the Casa da Msica ConcertHall (Porto)
April 2005 August 2006
Production and Operational Director of the Casa da Msica, responsible for:
Coordination

of

the

Production

team

(stage,

light

and

sound

technicians) and the production of Casa da Msica events (Pop, Rock,

Jazz, World Music, Classical and Contemporary Music performances .educational workshops exhibitions and multimedia installations
conferences receptions, etc.)
Coordination of the Maintenance team, responsible for the buildings
maintenance
Coordination of the outsourcing companies working for Casa da Msica
such as, Catering, Security and Cleaning.
Production Director and General Coordinator of the Casa da Msica
Concert-Hall Project (Porto)
1999/2005
(The Concert Hall was designed by the acclaimed Pritzker prize-winner, the
Dutch Architect, Rem Koolhaas. A multi-auditorium venue for music and a
base for musicians, its role is to celebrate the whole spectrum of musicmaking [including recording] and so to eliminate cultural barriers to
communication between performers and audiences. For further details see
www.casadamusica.com)
Responsibilities

Oversight and execution of all building specifications and the launch of the
architectural programme:
Supervision of the projects development in close cooperation with the
architects office (OMA), often in Rotterdam, in order to optimize its
functionality and future operation with special reference to acoustics,
sight-lines, seating and public space in separate parts of the building
dedicated to different uses
Planning and definition of the conditions for concessionary spaces in
the building
Planning, definition of requisite profiles for the Production and
Technical areas, including team responsible for the provision of
lighting, sound, video, scenography and acoustics
Design of future operational strategy for the uses of activities in the
building
Production planning of, and budgeting for, the seasons performances
(up to 12 months ahead) in close association with the Head of Artistic
Planning
Key Achievements

Mastery

comprehending the overall development of the project

Successful negotiating at national and international levels

and

detailed

application

of

highly

complex

brief

Technical and Production Director of PORTO 2001 European

Cultural Capital (Head-hunted)
1999/2001
Responsibilities

Coordination of production and execution of all musical events

programmed for Portos year as European Cultural Capital.

This

involved over 200 musical performances ranging from opera, concerts

by classical and symphony orchestras, period music (Rennaissance and
Baroque) and recitals, to contemporary musical ensembles, jazz, and

Fado etc.
Coordination of up to 800 visiting technicians overall for the various
productions brought in at different times during 2001

Key Achievement

Major regional, national, and international musical impact.

Concerts

Manager

for

the

Royal

Scottish

National

Orchestra

(Glasgow)
1997/1999
Responsibilities

Coordination of 100 orchestral players

Clockwork organization of all concerts, numerous tours in the UK and

overseas, recording sessions etc.

Arrangements concerning visiting conductors and soloists

Key Achievements

Rapid familiarization with UK standards, professional requirements, and

networks
Successful communication with British players and technical staff
Acquisition of new personal perspective on sophisticated working
procedures and company organization schemes in another culture
(especially given that I was the first Portuguese citizen to be appointed
to orchestral-management levels in the UK)

General Manager/Orchestra Manager of Orquestra Nacional do

Porto, the Oporto Symphony Orchestra
1989/1997
Member of the team that was set up to create the previously named
Orquestra Clssica do Porto and Orquestra do Porto da Rgie Cooperativa
Sinfonia
Responsibilities

Programming all orchestral activities, such as rehearsals, concerts,

tours and recording sessions

Detailed budget forecasting for each season in conjunction with the
Board of Directors

Supporting the Artistic and Musical Director over the programming of

the concert season, booking conductors, soloists and extra players for

the orchestra
Dealing with 50 players of 33 different nationalities from five
continents

Founder and Partner of ESTREIA Agncia de Espectculos, Lda, an

Artistic Agency
1994/1996
Responsibilities

Organization and production of artistic events e.g.

Musicals: Porgy and Bess with the New York Harlem Company;
the Macdonalds
Sisters (Negro Spirituals and Gospel);
Dance: Ballet Nacional de Espaa (Spain);
Orchestral Tours: Orquestra Sinfnica da Galicia (Spain);
Orchestra

of

Yale

University

(USA);

Orquestra

Sinfnica

Portuguesa (Lisbon);
Events for Private Sponsors: chamber-music concerts, dancing

and singing performances

Contracting artistes: musicians, dancers, actors, performers etc.
Technical advisers to Coliseu do Porto (the biggest Concert Hall in
Oporto City 3,200 seats)

Export Department of Tudor Group Batteries and Dry Cells (the

largest European producer of batteries and dry cells)
1987/1989
Responsibility

Fostering commercial relations with the Peoples Republic of China,

Taiwan, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Zaire, Ivory Coast and Spain

Various Departments in AGRIA-WERKE, Portugal Agricultural

Machines Ltd
1976/1987
Responsibilities

Assistant to the Executive Director (from 1985)

Sales Manager responsible for all salesmen and agencies around the

country
Supervision of the invoicing process and computer system in Accounts

EDUCATION (by part-time study after work)

Lusada University of Lisbon
1982/1987
Graduate in History, with Honours
(Consequently invited to teach at university level)
Gregorian Institute of Lisbon
1979/1983
General Music Studies including a singing course
CULTURAL INTERESTS AND PHYSICAL RECREATION

History, music, sociology, psychology

Working-out and swimming

* The Casa da Msica:

Created out of the program of activities undertaken during Portos year as
European Capital of Culture in 2001, the Casa da Msica is designed to
enable the performance and recording of classical, folk, popular and
progressive music in the different auditoria and recording studios contained
within its spectacular building. The highest standards of public service are
offered to the people of Porto and its region on a specifically non-elitist basis
so as to widen musical involvement.

The Casa da Msica structure

encompasses an Education and Research Department which is focus on the

schools sector and socially deprived areas of the city through the floating and
design of special projects, plus a publishing and music research program.
Casas artistic project also included the creation of an Ensemble of
Contemporary Music in the year 2000, the Remix Ensemble, which is
becoming a reference in the European contemporary music groups. These
initiatives further include the Opera Studio, which already provides a postgraduate training for young singers.