Mário Franco (born 20 October 1965 in Lisbon, Portugal) is a doublebass player and composer, dancer;
Mário Franco started music lessons at the age of 4 in Centro de Estudos Gregorianos. After one year in Lisbon Conservatory where he studied harp, singing and music theory he went on to Academia de Amadores de Música, where he continued his studies in music theory with Cristina Brito da Cruz, started to study double bass with Fernando Flores, composition with Pedro Rocha and chamber music.
Studied bass guitar with Antonio Ferro, Double Bass with David Gausden in Escola de Jazz do Hot Clube de Portugal; and took part in workshops with Rufus Reid, Niels Henning Orsted Pederson, Eberhard Weber.
In 1986-87, he attended double-bass courses given by Ludwig Streicher in Estoril and in 1988 won 1st prize in the Prémio Jovens Musicos (Young Musicians Competition); later became a member of Orquestra Sinfonica Juvenil where he worked on classical repertory with conductor Christopher Bochmann. Also worked with conductors Silva Pereira, Miguel Graça Moura, Roberto Perez and Michel Swierczewski.
Since 1984, he plays jazz and improvised music in Portugal and abroad with musicians such as António Pinho Vargas, Mário Laginha, João Paulo Esteves de Silva, Bernardo Sassetti, Carlos Martins, Tomás Pimentel, José Peixoto, Jarmo Savolainen, Jim Leff, Ralph Peterson Jr., Paolo Fresu, Andy Sheppard, Peter Epstein, Ralph Towner.
In 1990, he presented his first project based on original compositions and was awarded 1st prize for his group and 2nd prize for composition in the competition “A Juventude e a Musica” (Young People and Music).
Has performed outside Portugal for instance in Macau, Japan, Spain, France, Belgium, Norway…Has participated in some of Portugal´s most important music festivals such as:
Festival de Música dos Capuchos 1985; Jazz na Cidade 88, 90; Lisboa em Jazz 90; 5 ª Jornadas Internacionais da Oficina Musical 90; Encontros de Jazz do Algarve 91; 16º Encounters Gulbenkian of Contemporary Music 92 (Gulbenkian Foundation); Jazz no Parque, 3ª edition (Serralves Foundation) 95; Festas de Lisboa 95, 96; Festa do Avante 90, 94, 96; Seixal Jazz Festival 98, 05; Festival Internacional de Jazz de Faro in 99 “Jazz no Inverno”; Musicalidades 01; Jazz em Agosto (Gulbenkian Foundation) 87, 88, 90, 95 and 05; Maio Jazz Almodôvar 05, 07; 4ª Festa do Jazz 06; Festival de Jazz de Estremoz 06, 08; International Film Festival IndieLisboa 07; 10º Festival de Valado de Frades 07; 11º Matosinhos em Jazz 07; 1º Festival de Jazz de Sines 07; Festival Y#5, 07; 1º Ciclo de concertos “ O Som das Musas” Vila Flôr 07; 2º Festival Internacional de Palmela 07; Mudas Jazz Sessions (Madeira) 08; 1ª Feira de Artes Performativas de Tavira’08; Portugal Jazz 07, 09; Festival Internacional de Música dos Açores 09; 6º Festival Terras sem Sombra
Also composes for Dance and Theatre.
Mário Franco is also a dancer from the National Ballet Company of Portugal since 1986.
Recordings: edit
As a Side Musician: (Selected CDs) Antonio Pinho Vargas Quintet and Carlos Martins Quartet: Lisboa em Jazz (CML Pelouro Cultura, 1991); João Paulo Esteves da Silva Quartet: Serra sem Fim (Farol Música, 1993); Tomas Pimentel Septet: Descolagem (El Tatu, 1994); Luz Destino (M.A Recordings, 1996); José Peixoto: O Que Me Diz o Espelho d’água (Farol Música, 2000), A Tempo (A Capella, 2001); José Peixoto: Aceno, featuring Ralph Towner (Zona Música, 2003).
As a Leader: ”This Life” Mario Franco Quintet with David Binney (Tone of a Pitch, 2006)