João Viegas
Composer · Producer · Educator
Original music for film, orchestra, and media.
Based in Portugal, working internationally.
About
I write music for films, orchestras, and media — work rooted in craft and shaped by my experience in both Portugal and London.My recent commissions include a piece for choir and orchestra for Orquestra do Algarve and the original score for A Próxima Peça, a feature film co-supported by the Portuguese Film Commission (ICA). I hold an MMus in Composition for Film and Television from the University of West London and a BMus in Composition from ESML.In addition to my practice as a composer, I also teach composition, aural skills, and music production, and founded the London Composer Feedback Meetup — a weekly roundtable of over 30 composers, producers, and engineers at the Barbican Centre, which I ran from 2023 to 2024.
Selected Works
What I Do
Composition for Media
Original scores for films, documentaries, podcasts, and audiobooks. Rooted in orchestral craft, but with a production palette that stretches into electronic and hybrid territory, for your film, documentary, podcast or audiobook
Orchestral Arrangement and Music Production
Arrangements, orchestrations, and mockups for artists, producers, and ensembles. Score preparation, part extraction, and engraving also available.
Send me your track or demo and I'lll deliver polished orchestral stems ready for your mix.
Mixing
Orchestral and hybrid mixing, with a production workflow refined across concert and screen work.
Teaching
Private lessons in composition, aural skills, and music production. Available online via Superprof and Lessonface, or by direct arrangement.
Lessons
For music producers and songwriters:
Harmony, orchestration, voice leading and orchestral arranging. Practical - production oriented.
For aspiring film composers:
Composing for media — effective storytelling, scoring to picture, spotting, sketches, temps, and preparing music for delivery.
What the students say:
"I had the privilege of studying Composition with Professor João Viegas in 2022, and it was a truly enriching experience for my musical journey.
The lessons were fundamental in developing not only my skills in composition, but also my ability to think about music in a more creative and structured way.
In the context of film music composition, I wrote a short film entitled ‘A Menina Que Sorri’, where the professor helped me to better understand various concepts.
He also helped me during the transition from secondary school to university, not only in refining my compositional technique but also in opening doors to other paths, introducing me to film music composition.
He is truly a teacher with a vast compositional technique and an excellent ability to adapt to give each student exactly what they need."(Translated from Portuguese)
Bárbara João
Composition
"I had the amazing opportunity to take a film music lesson with João the other day, and it was such a lovely experience :) The lesson was fun and relaxed, yet full of new insights about composing for film that I didn’t even know existed or had imagined!
João is incredibly warm and friendly, and he explains everything clearly, slowly, and in great detail—I never felt lost at any point. He really takes his time to make sure you’re following along and fully engaged, and he answered all of my questions (and I had quite a few!).
In the days after the lesson, I felt so motivated—I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It truly gave me a new spark for music composition, and I can’t wait to continue learning with him. If you’re thinking about starting to learn film composition, give it a shot with João—you will not regret it!"
Inês Matos
Film Scoring and Music Production
"O João é um professor com um conhecimento vasto sobre música, cinema e tecnologia sonora. Nas aulas dele é possível explorar não só vários aspectos da criação musical para cinema, mas também trabalhar sobre a articulação desse conhecimento com a logística concreta do trabalho profissional. Contudo, o ponto mais importante para mim foi o facto de o João adaptar o que tem para ensinar ao que o aluno procura fazer profissionalmente. Não há uma fórmula fixa: há escuta, há adaptação, há uma preocupação constante em perceber se o que está a ser ensinado está realmente a ser apreendido.
Quem procura aprender a criar música para imagem com consistência e com consciência profissional encontrará no João um professor à altura desse propósito."
Rodrigo Cardoso
Composição para Cinema e Media e Produção Musical
Selected Credits
Histórias de um Tempo Que Foge À Memória
For Choir and Orchestra · Orquestra do Algarve, 2024
A Próxima Peça
Original Film Score · Dir. Henrique Prudêncio · ICA, 2023
Ubi Caritas
For SSAATTBB Choir · Nova Era Vocal Ensemble, 2019
Ribeira
For Violin and Cello · Pedro Ribeiro e Jaime Jacob, 2019
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"I'm not an easy director to work with, for composers. Due to my experience as a film and commercial editor, I make an unusual request to deliver me music before editing begins, or sometimes even before filming. So I can enter and feel the world before anything else. Music transports me easily to the mood I'm applying. And that's why the music from João speaks volumes to me. Not only did he deliver several experimental pieces for me to listen before any editing began, he transported me with ease to a lot of different places. I felt connection, tension, dreams, breakthroughs. Never missed a deadline and an incredible professional, I would recommend his work to anyone who wants to elevate their film to the next level. Cause thats what he did. Thank you João."
Henrique Prudêncio
Director, A Próxima Peça
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"I met João in an online workshop about film music in 2022 and we connected because I was searching for a composer for my graduation project. After some initial talks we decided to work together on my documentary. João was super nice to work with. He showed a genuine interest in my film, delivered his music quickly and was always open for a discussion or a second version.
Fast forward to now - 3 years later - we keep in touch and I‘d definitely contact him if I had a new project. 😊"
Franziska Schminke
Director, Ingo