Sérgio Pires

Recognised for his expressive musical personality, refined sound and versatility, Portuguese clarinetist Sérgio Pires has established an international career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player, performing in some of the world’s greatest concert halls.

Since 2016 he has held the position of Solo Clarinet with the Musikkollegium Winterthur in Switzerland. From 2023 to 2026 he was Principal Clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra, performing under the direction of some of the world’s most distinguished conductors.

As a soloist, Sérgio Pires has performed with orchestras across Europe and South America, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Bremen Philharmonic, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Romanian Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Zürcher Symphoniker, Chamber Orchestra Basel, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre (Brazil), Orquesta de Extremadura (Spain), Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Staatsorchester Braunschweig and Sinfonietta de Braga. His performances have taken him to prestigious venues across Europe, America and Asia, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Konzerthaus Berlin, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona and the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea. His repertoire ranges from the great classical concertos of Mozart and Weber to the music of Carl Nielsen, Sándor Veress and Krzysztof Penderecki.

His discography includes recordings for prestigious labels such as BIS, MDG, Claves, Genuin and AVI, earning recognition from music critics internationally.

His orchestral experience began at an early age, with participation in the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Throughout his career he has also collaborated with leading ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Tonkünstler Orchestra.

Alongside his performing career, Sérgio is deeply committed to musical education. He has taught at the Universidade do Minho in Portugal and at the Hochschule für Musik der Stadt Basel, where he serves as Assistant Teacher in François Benda’s clarinet class. He is also a Woodwind Coach at the Verbier Festival, working with young musicians at one of Europe’s leading international music festivals, and regularly gives masterclasses internationally.

In addition to his performing and teaching activities, Sérgio Pires is the founder of Gerês Resonance, an international masterclass initiative based in Portugal. Organised twice a year, the programme brings together aspiring clarinetists from around the world for an intensive period of individual tuition, artistic exchange and musical development.

Pires began studying the clarinet at the age of eight at the Academia de Música Valentim Moreira de Sá in Guimarães, under the guidance of Vítor Matos. He later completed his Master’s degree in Performance – Soloist with distinction at the Hochschule für Musik der Stadt Basel, studying with François Benda.

Sérgio Pires is an artist endorsed by Henri Selmer Paris.