Rui Penha, composer published by the MIC.PT, is one of the finalists at the first edition of Sonae Media Art Award, which encourages artistic creation in media art. Diogo Evangelista, the Musa Paradisíaca collective by Miguel Ferrão and Eduardo Guerra, as well as Tatiana Macedo and Patrícia Portela are the other finalists selected from among 174 received proposals, by a jury composed of Sandra Vieira Jürgens (critic, art historian and editor), Natxo Checa (curator of the ZDB Gallery in Lisbon) and Emília Tavares (curator in the area of Photography and New Media at the MNAC-MC).
The finalists will receive a scholarship to create works to be presented between November 2015 and January 2016 at the Chiado Museum. The winner will be chosen in December by a jury constituted by Lori Zippay, executive director of Electronic Arts Intermix, Marco Martins, film and theatre director, and David Santos, director of the Chiado Museum.

Virgílio Melo will be the protagonist at the next meeting within the cycle, Conversas com Compositores Portugueses Contemporâneos, organized by the Atelier de Composição, which will be held on January 10 at 5h00 p.m. at the Gato Vadio (Porto). António Chagas Rosa, composer published by the MIC.PT and the main participant at the previous session in December, will be now an intermediary with regard to Virgílio Melo’s music work.
Conversas com Compositores Portugueses Contemporâneos is a cycle of monthly encounters with the aim to present "who are, how do they approach music, and what are the inspirations" of Portuguese contemporary composers. Within an informal conversation, during these events one can listen to significant works of every invited author, in order to approach his / her compositional, technical, aesthetic or philosophical thought. This will be the seventh session of the cycle, Conversas com Compositores Portugueses Contemporâneos.

On December 10 at the Viriato Theatre in Viseu the violist João Pedro Delgado performed a recital dedicated to Portuguese music for viola and electronics. The concert’s programme included works by three composers published by the MIC.PT: A Propos d´un Son (Grisey in memoriam) by Eduardo Luís Patriarca, Rust by João Pedro Oliveria and Violeta’s by José Carlos Sousa; as well as pieces by Sérgio Azevedo and Jaime Reis.
In January João Pedro Delgado will release a new CD, which includes his performance of the same programme, Portuguese Contemporary Music for Viola and Electronics. In this sense the musician intends to foster the repertoire for viola solo and electronics, either through the commission of works by composers of different aesthetics or through the circulation of already existing works, thus reflecting on the use of electronic means in contrast with viola as an entirely solo instrument.
Three works from this programme constitute commissions realized by João Pedro Delgado especially for this CD (by João Pedro Oliveira, Eduardo Patriarca and Sérgio Azevedo); while the two other works were written for the performer in 2013, as commissions of the Festival de Música da Primavera in Viseu and the Festival Dias da Música Electrónica (by José Carlos Sousa and Jaime Reis, respectively). The project is financed by the DgArtes, with the support of the Síntese - Grupo de Música Contemporânea, Festival de Música da Primavera de Viseu and Festival Dias da Música Electrónica.

The work Titanium for 4-hand piano and electronics by João Pedro Oliveira, composer published by the MIC.PT, received Honorary Mention at the Musica Nova International Competition of Electroacoustic Music in the B Category, Compositions for Acoustic Instrument(s) and Electronics. The concert of the laureates of the Musica Nova 2014 took place on December 9 at the Alfréd ve Dvoře Theatre in Prague.
Titanium by João Pedro Oliveira belongs to a group of four works inspired in various elements of nature: Magma for violin and electronics; Titanium for 4-hand piano, two toy pianos and electronics; Burning Silver for flute, guitar and electronics; and Rust for viola and electronics. Each of these works is related with the characteristics of the elements, in which it is inspired.

The work for wind orchestra, A vida é nossa by Gonçalo Gato, composer published by the MIC.PT, will be presented on January 7 and 8 at 6h00 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Music Conservatory in Coimbra, and the Department of Communication and Art of the Aveiro University, respectively. This piece is based on the Portuguese folklore and it was selected within the 2^nd National Competition of the Portuguese Symphonic Band.
The two concerts will be performed by the Wind Orchestra of the Aveiro University, with Henrique Portovedo on tenor saxophone and under the direction of Luís Carvalho. The programme will also include the premiere of Hugo Correia's piece Sofomania in Senatus for tenor saxophone, AKAI and wind orchestra, as well as two works by Alexandre Almeida and Luís Carvalho.

João Pedro Oliveira was chosen at the Listhus AiR SKAMMDEGI programme, within which in January, together with the pianist and photographer Ana Cláudia Assis, he is realizing a residency at Listhús í Fjallabyggð on Iceland, to compose a new work for video and electronics.
In Icelandic “skammdegi” means dark winter, with little sunlight. December 21 is the shortest day in Iceland as the Sun rises only at 11 a.m., and sets already at 3 p.m. Located in Ólafsfjörður in northern part of the island, Listhús í Fjallabyggð is surrounded by mountains, and during December and January the Sun never raises above them. In consequence the lands are always covered with a mysterious and reflective lighting. The artistic residencies at Listhus AiR SKAMMDEGI provide the possibility to explore the dark Icelandic winter.

The conference Digital SOS - Music Patrimony and Digital Preservation will be taking place on January 15 between 2h30 p.m. and 5h00 p.m., at O'Culto da Ajuda (Travessa das Zebras no. 25) in Belém, Lisbon. It is organized by the Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre and the DGLAB (General Directoriate of Books, Archives and Libraries), in conjunction with the Network for Common Preservation of Digital Patrimony (RPCPD), where MIC.PT is member. This event aims at the presentation of the project Digital Continuity - update on the present phase of works and exploration of the contribution of the musical community in this context. The conference's programme will include presentations by the DGLAB - Digital Preservation: a Solid(t)ary Effort?; by António de Sousa Dias, composer, professor and researcher at the Autonomous Superior Institute for Poytechnic Studies (IPA) and the Portuguese Catholic University / Art School / CITAR - "Live" electronic music and "recasting": three study cases [Jorge Peixinho, Harmónicos (1967), Jorge Peixinho, Sax-Blue (1982) and Cândido Lima, Ñcáãncôa (1995)]; by Miguel Azguime, composer and director of the Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre - In search for a Dynamic and Inteligent Archive for Digital Music Works? Stories, Contexts and Perspectives; and by Andreia Nogueira, doctoral researcher at the Science and Technology Faculty at the Universidade Nova and researcher associated at the CESEM (Centre for Studies in Music Sociology and Aesthetics) - Towards the Future of Contemporary Music within the Advent of Digital Technology.
The event will be complemented with a musical moment with various "digital music works". The participation in the conference is free, yet subject to previous registration (please send and email to mario.santana@dglab.gov.pt referring your name, entity/service and the designation SOS Digital in the subject, as well as a "declaration of presence", if necessary).

A special performance dedicated to Álvaro García de Zúñiga, writer, poet, philosopher, musician, theatre director and colaborator of the New Music Review Lounge, who left us recently, will take place on January 17 at O'culto de Ajuda. Based in Portugal since 1990 Alvaro García de Zúñiga lived his youth between Uruguay where he was born, and Argentina where he initiated his education in music. After experiences in music and music theatre he moved towards theatre and other types of writing, leaving a prolific work in this area. After having studied in Buenos Aires he continued his education in London, Madrid, Paris, Cologne, and then he settled in Lisbon, where he dedicated himself to writing. In Portugal, he was author of various spectacles including the most recent programme of reading and discussion of the work Dom Quixote de la Mancha by Cervantes, at the São Luíz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon. For Alvaro García de Zúñiga, "the language (and the languages) constitute the raw material of the work. (…) A language without any specific nationality, which enjoys being crossed with other languages and inverting the linguistic conventions". The preformance at O'culto da Ajuda at 09h00 p.m. will include the participation of Teresa Albuquerque, with whom the poet-philosopher founded the BlaBlaLab association, of the harpist Eduardo Raon, as well as of various other artists, Alvaro García de Zúñiga's friends.
His "anniversary" will be preceded with another performance in the context of the Art's Birthday 2015, on January 16, also at 09h00 p.m. at O'culto da Ajuda, by the Powetrio with Joana Sá on piano, Luís Martins on guitar and Eduardo Raon on harp. This event, coproduced by Miso Music Portugal and Antena 2, is a celebration in homage to Art and its role in the society. The celebrations of the Art's Birthday will be taking place at O'culto da Ajuda with live broadcast on Antena 2 and for the entire Europe through the European Broadcasting Union.