João Castro Pinto
is a Portuguese artist active since the mid nineties in the areas of experimental sound art, electronic / electroacoustic music and intermedia art.
Since 2002 he's been the artistic director and producer of the Hertzoscópio - Experimental and Transdisciplinary Arts Festival and more recently he's Director of the Music and Digital Intermedia Arts Department of the C. Cultural Centre, based in Lisboa, Portugal.

In 1999 was selected within the national contest Jovens Criadores 99 (YOUNG CREATORS 99) in the music area with an electroacoustic piece named Impressões Sintéticas (Synthetic Impressions). In the meanwhile developed and deepened interest in Philosophy [he has graduated in Philosophy at the New University of Lisbon - F.C.S.H.] and in multiple expressions of the experimental art : video, installation, intermedia, etc..
Due to this strong interest won, in 2000, the 8th edition of the portuguese experimental intermedia art fellowship "Bolsa Ernesto de Sousa" (Ernesto de Sousa Fellowship), dedicated to promote and stimulate portuguese intermedia artists, with A SENSE OF FLOW, an intermedia performance project focused on the natural landscape of the Tejo river (Tagus river | Portugal).

Attended an intermedia trainee at the University of Iowa and performed A SENSE OF FLOW at the Experimental Intermedia Foundation of New York City, on March 16th 2001.

J. Castro Pinto has done artistic residencies to conceptualize and present intermedia performances, the latest happened at Fournos Center for Digital Culture in Athens, to present the intermedia project CONT@MINATION.

He has presented, regularly, his intermedia and sound work on more than 100 performances / concerts, all over Europe and the U.S.A., in cities such as: N.Y.C., IOWA, BERLIN, COLOGNE, MUNCHEN, VIENNA, KLOSTERNEUBURG, GRAZ, BOLOGNANO, ATHENS, LISBOA, PORTO, FARO, etc...

Collaborates / plays frequently with national and foreign artists from the sound art / experimental and improv music scenes.

Actual and past collaborations include:

Dr. Karlheinz Essl (Austria), Tom Hamilton (U.S.A.), Paulo Raposo (PT), Kurt Ralske (U.S.A.), Jeremy Bernstein (U.S.A.), Koji Asano (Japan), Nathan Fuhr (U.S.A. | via COBRA), O.Blaat (Japan/U.S.A. | via V.G.O.), Boris Hauf (Austria), Bernhard Loibner (Austria), John Grzinich (Stonia), Sei Miguel (PT), the portuguese audiovisual colective [des]integração (PT), 1986! (PT), Carlos Zíngaro (PT | via [des]), Variable Geometry Orchestra (PT), Rafael Toral (PT | via V.G.O.), Ernesto Rodrigues (PT), Blaise Siwula (U.S.A.), Nuno Rebelo (PT), Gilles Aubry (CH), Guilherme Rodrigues (PT), Alípio C. Neto (PT | via V.G.O.), Rodrigo Amado (PT | via COBRA & V.G.O.), Paulo Curado (PT | via COBRA), Bruno Parrinha (PT | via V.G.O. & WOODS), João Pedro Viegas (PT | via V.G.O. & WOODS), Gabriel Ferrandini (PT), Rui Faustino (PT), ANISOTROPUS (PT), Manuel Mota (PT), Margarida Garcia (PT), Nuno Moita (PT), Adriana Sá (PT), Nuno Torres (PT), Anastasis Grivas (GR), Thanos Kois (GR), Coti K. (GR), Jasch (Ch), C. Ming-Tung (China), Emanuel Dimas de Melo Pimenta (PT), Carlos Santos (PT) André Gonçalves (PT), Eduardo Lála (PT), Gil Gonçalves (PT), Producers (PT), Miguel Sá (PT), Fadigaz (PT), Travassos (PT), Plan (PT), Eduardo Reck Miranda (BRA), Leonello Tarabella (ITA), etc...

Participated in several Master Classes of Electroacoustic Composition with renowned composers, such as: Eduardo Reck Miranda, François Bayle, John Chowning, Barry Truax, Morton Subotnick.

Played in several festivals / events [selected]:
- The Eleventh Annual Festival with no fancy name, Part Two @ Experimental Intermedia Foundation [2001 _ NYC _ U.S.A.]
- The International Center of the Intermedia Studios of The University of Iowa [2001 _ Iowa City _ U.S.A.]
- The BUNKER [subtonic] [2001 _ NYC _ U.S.A.]
- The No Fado Tour [April _ 2001 _ GERMANY] @
- Peripherie [Tubingen];
- T-U-B-E- [Munchen];
- Alte Feuerwache [Koln];
- Cuba Cultur [Munster];
- MeX im Kunstlerhaus [Dortmund].
- Aveiro Síntese: 1st International Electroacoustic Music Festival of Aveiro [2002 _ PT]
- Modern Art Centre José de Azeredo Perdigão (CAM) of CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION with [des]integração [2002 _ PT]
- FIRST FREE INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF ART AND CULTURE [2003 _ ITALY]
- European Forum for Emerging Creation @ Forum Stadtpark [2003 _ Graz _ AUSTRIA]
- FLUC [2003 _ Vienna _ AUSTRIA]
- Fournos Centre For Digital Culture [2003 _ Athens _ GREECE]
- Small Music Theater [2003 _ Athens _ GREECE]
- 10th edition of MÚSICA VIVA _ Electroacoustic Music Festival 2004 [PT]
- HERTZOSCÓPIO - EXPERIMENTAL & TRANSDISCIPLINARY ARTS FESTIVAL [2003/04 _ PT]
- Sonic Scope Festival [2001/03/08 _ PT]
- Número Festival [2003/06 _ PT]
- Super Stereo Demonstration [2005 _ PT]
- 5th Anniversary of the Experimental Music Concert Series "REACT_CHAIN" @ SAMMLUNG ESSL MUSEUM [Klosterneuburg _ AUSTRIA _ 2005]
- Tone Central | Kulturbunker [2005 _ Cologne _ GERMANY]
- HERTZ_extend 1 - Experimental & Transdiciplinary Arts Encounters [2005 _ PT]
- Mascavado Festival [2006/08 _ PT]
- Creative Fest 01 & Sources Fest 01 [2007 _ PT]
- Casa da Música | Porto with V.G.O. [2007 _ PT]
- PORTUGUESE MUSIC TODAY FESTIVAL 2008 @ Centro Cultural de Belém [PT]
- RADIALX _ International Radio Art Festival 2008 [PT]
- Das Kleine Field Recordings Festival [at Staalplaat workspace] _ 26.09.2009 _ Berlin _ Germany
- Salon Bruit _ 25.09.2009 _ Berlin _ Germany
- Elektronic Tea Time _ 30.09.2009 _ Vienna _ Austria
- FLUC _ KLUB MOOZAK _ 30.09.2009 _ Vienna _ Austria
- Garnison7 _ 03.10.09 _ Vienna _ Austria

Co-founded ESPECTROS, a Portuguese organization for experimental arts that is a non-profit promotional structure for the development and promotion of contemporary experimental artistic expressions.
Idealized / conceptualized and runs the HERTZOSCÓPIO - EXPERIMENTAL & TRANSDISCIPLINARY ARTS FESTIVAL, dedicated to: experimental electronic/electroacoustic music, intermedia art, installations, video art, workshops, etc...

Discography on: SIRR.ecords, Grain Of Sound, Creative Sources Recordings, Variz & Useless Poorductions, signed under different names and projects, such as: AGNOSIA, Variable Geometry Orchestra, Usines, Ludwig Vanessa, João Castro Pinto, WigVann and 1986!.

18. 4. 2010: „Portraying the Spectra of Toys“