José Carlos Amaral Vieira (born 1952 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian composer, pianist, and musicologist.

He studied piano with Souza Lima and composition with Artur Hartmann in Brazil.

Vieira later studied in France at the Paris Conservatory with Lucette Descaves and Olivier Messiaen; in Germany at the Freiburger Musikhochschule with Carl Seeman and Konrad Lechner; and in the United Kingdom with Louis Kentner.

In 1977 he returned to Brazil to embark on the career of a virtuoso performer, while introducing his own compositions in concert programmes.

[2] He has achieved international acclaim both as a concert and recording artist, composer, and musicologist, and has appeared throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.