Frederico Paixão

Portuguese flautist Frederico Paixão joined the Scottish Ballet Orchestra in 2024 as Principal Flute. Soon after, he became a visiting tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and in 2026 he was appointed Professor of Flute at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Living between Glasgow and London, Frederico regularly appears with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, including the LPO, RPO, RSNO, Hallé, and John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London.

In a 5-star review of Mahler’s 9th Symphony with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Sir Donald Runnicles, The Herald singled out Frederico’s “sparkling guest contribution.” With the same ensemble, he appeared on BBC 4’s Inside Classical playing Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. He can be heard on many recordings, namely Ein Heldenleben with the Philharmonia under Santtu-Matias Rouvali, and Joe Hisaishi’s Harp Concerto with Emmanuel Ceysson and the RPO (recorded for Deutsche Grammophon at Suntory Hall in Tokyo).

Frederico started his studies at the Academia de Música de Santa Cecília in Lisbon, learning the flute with Paulo Martins and Ricardo Alves. In 2013, he moved to London to study at The Purcell School with Anna Pope, followed by a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the Flute Prize and was later made a Chamber Music Fellow. He studied with Samuel Coles, Katherine Baker, Karen Jones, Helen Keen, Patricia Morris, and Lisa Beznosiuk. His other influential teachers over the years were Nuno Inácio, Gitte Marcusson, and Robert Winn, as well as Emily Beynon and WIBB through inspiring classes at RAM. After graduating, he became a Recital Artist for the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and embarked on a varied freelance career.

Recent performing highlights have included a recital for Portuguese Radio Antena 2 with his partner Mark Rogers, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and David Fray, and a sold-out O2 Arena with Diana Ross.