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Born in Lisbon in 1972, Pedro Amaral is one of the most active European composers of the young generation.
He studied at the Paris Superior Conservatoire (CNSM), where he graduated, in 1998, with the "first prize in composition", awarded by unanimous vote of the jury.
He also studied conducting with Peter Eötvös (Eötvös Institute, 2000) and Emilio Pomarico (Milan Scuola Civica, 2001).
In parallel with his practical apprenticeship, Pedro Amaral proceeded with university studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, in Paris, obtaining a Masters degree in contemporary musicology with a thesis on Stockhausen’s "Gruppen" (1998) and, later on, a Ph.D. with a thesis on "Momente" and the problematic of musical form in serial music. About this huge analysis, Karl Stockhausen commented, in Le Monde de la Musique (September 2003): "It is an excellent work that taught me a lot of things" — he then invited Pedro Amaral to become his assistant in some specific projects.
Amaral’s regular presence at French Institute IRCAM result in three important works: "Transmutations", for piano and live electronics, "Organa" and the long "Script" for percussion and live electronics.
As conductor, he specialized in Boulez, Berio and Stockhausen repertoire, as well as in mix repertoire (works for orchestra and electronics) besides his own music — which he partially recorded, in 2006, with the London Sinfonietta under his own conducting.