Maria Joao is a Commander of the Order of Prince Henry (National Order of Portugal), awarded by His Excellency the President of Portugal, and an honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, awarded by His Majesty King Charles III.
She is a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Music from the University of Oxford, Christ Church College. She holds a Bachelor of Music (BMus Hons) from the University of London, King’s College; a ‘Licenciatura’ Degree (four-year undergraduate degree) in Music Sciences from the University Nova of Lisbon; and a General Degree in Music (eight-year degree) from the Calouste Gulbenkian Music Conservatoire in Portugal.
A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Portugal, Maria Joao is the president of Portugal-UK 650, whose Patrons are His Majesty King Charles III and His Excellency the President of Portugal. Portugal-UK 650 has involved more than 1,500 artists, 250 researchers and speakers, and 215 partner institutions, with whom more than 300 projects and activities have been organized. These include events at Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace attended by HM King Charles III, HE The President of Portugal, the Foreign Secretary, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Commander Field Army, the Chief of Defence Staff of Portugal, and others.
Previous appointments include Royal Opera House Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Faculty of Music and Christ Church College; Director of Education and Research at Casa da Música in Oporto, where she was responsible for research, education, performance, publications, exhibitions, music technologies, and archives, overseeing about 2,000 projects and events per year; and Board Member of RESEO, the European Network for Opera, Music and Dance Education, which brings together opera houses and performing arts centres from 25 countries.
She also undertakes philanthropic work as a volunteer. She is the International President of ANDI New Dialogue Organization, an international NGO accredited by the United Nations that promotes social values and human rights and helps children in need worldwide, and she is a Dame of the Order of Malta, which conducts humanitarian projects in 120 countries.
