Vianna da Motta went to Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin in 1882 at expenses of King Fernando II of Portugal. He also attended Liszt's classes at Weimar in 1885, as well as Hans von Bülow's. In Germany, he started a career as a concertist and exceptional interpret of Bach, Beethoven and Liszt. During the First World War, he taught at Geneva Conservatory. In 1917, he came back to Portugal, becoming director of the National Conservatory. As a composer, he is very close to the German Romanticism, and dedicates himself to the production of a national style, by including and recreating the national folklore. His most emblematic work is the A Major Symphony "À Pátria" (1895).