Francisco Ribeiro

Who is Francisco Ribeiro?

Francisco Ribeiro was a Portuguese cellist, composer, lyricist, vocalist, arranger and record producer. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal.

Ribeiro is best known for being one of the founding members of Madredeus, a group that combined traditional Portuguese music with influences from contemporary folk music. In 1997, he left Madredeus to complete his musical training in England. He returned to Portugal in 2006. In December 2009, he released The Junction Well, the first album by his personal project Desiderata.

While in England, Ribeiro was a member of the Gloucester and Stroud Symphony Orchestras from 2002 through 2003. He graduated from Bath Spa University in Music and Composition, and also studied at Gloucester Tech College while attending the Music Academy of Santa Cecilia.

Ribeiro also collaborated on the soundtrack for the 1994 film Lisbon Story, directed by Wim Wenders, and was actively involved in various music projects and festivals.

Ribeiro died in Lisbon from liver cancer at the age of 45.