In November the MIC.PT In Focus section is dedicated to Daniel Moreira, composer whose new concerto for orchestra and electronics, Isto não é um filme (This Is Not a Film), was premiered in October by the Porto Symphony Orchestra Casa da Música and Baldur Brönnimann (musical direction).
Daniel Moreira has a PhD degree in Composition (King’s College, Londres), Master's degree in Composition and Music Theory (ESMAE, Porto), and Licentiate degree in Economics (Faculty of Economics, Porto). In 2009 he was Young Composer in Residence at the Casa da Música. Since then, he has regularly received commissions for new works and arrangements (Casa da Música, Festival Musica Strasbourg, European Concert Hall Organisation – ECHO, Chester & Novello, Banda Sinfónica Portuguesa, Antena 2, Movimento Patrimonial pela Música Portuguesa, Papaveronoir Filmes or Criatório Programme). Daniel Moreira is professor of Composition, Analysis and Aesthetics at the ESAME in Porto, having also lectured at the University of Minho and in the context of the Xiquitsi Project in Maputo (Mozambique). His work as researcher, focused on different aspects of harmony and time in 20th and 21st century music, is regularly presented at national and international conferences. Daniel Moreira is also interested in the relations between music and cinema, particularly in Bernard Hermann's music for Alfred Hitchcock's films and in the notion of musicality in the work of David Lynch. His music embraces various genres – from orchestral to chamber music, with a more recent emphasis on choral music, opera, music for film and mixed music (acoustic instruments with electronics).
This month visit the MIC.PT In Focus section with an Interview to Daniel Moreira, composer published by the MIC.PT.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the initiatives disseminated in this Newsletter can be subject to changes in the programming or postponements. For updated information, please visit the websites of the organising entities.

A concert entirely dedicated to the music of Clotilde Rosa will take place on November 22 at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. The programme of this event entitled Clotilde é uma Rosa II – peças inéditas e outras (Clotilde is a Rose II – unpublished and other pieces), includes various works by this composer published by the MIC.PT – four premieres: Impromptu For JAM for solo cello (2000), Improvisos para Marimba (2012), Lírica Jâmbica for solo violin (2012) and Antínuo III for cello and double bass (2016); and three other works: A Memória é um espelho for solo viola (2013), Castelos d’Oiro em Mundos Irreais V.2 for cello and piano (2017) and Waving II for piano and electronics (2017). The concert, with live stream on the >> Miso Music Portugal YouTube Channel, will be performed by: Adriano Aguiar (double bass), Fátima Juvandes (marimba), Ana Cláudia Assis and Ana Telles (piano), Ricardo Mateus (viola), José Sá Machado (violin), Miguel Rocha and Jorge Sá Machado (cello).

Aubade (2020) for a small, 23-instrument orchestra is a new work by Christopher Bochmann, whose premiere performance by the Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by this composer published by the MIC.PT, will take place on November 4 at the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon. The programme of this concert also includes the piece Allegro by Francisco de Lacerda (1869-1934) orchestrated by Christopher Bochmann, as well as the music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn. «Aubade is a morning, or more specifically, a dawn song or poem. Traditionally, it is the song of lovers who are obliged to separate at sunrise. The tradition also includes a person who warns the lovers about the approaching daylight. My piece begins at one point (the dark night) and ends in a completely different one (the bright day), thus its form is a gradual transformation» – reveals Christopher Bochmann in the programme note.

The String Quartet no. 1 (2009) by David Miguel, composer published by the MIC.PT, is included in the programme of two Música Nova Competition concerts. This initiative by the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra (OCCO) aims at promoting new works by contemporary composers, giving them the opportunity to have their music performed at the Música Nova recitals, where the audience and musicians will choose the OCCO resident composer in 2021. The concerts will take place on November 21 and 28 in Estoril and Oeiras. Their programme will also include pieces by Miguel Carvalho, João Malha, Robert Bispo and Francisco Ribeiro.

Krone (for clarinet and accordion) and Metamorphosis (premiere of the clarinet and accordion version) – are the two pieces by Lino Guerreiro, composer published by the MIC.PT, included in the programme of the Antena 2 Recital which will take place on November 10 at the National Ancient Art Museum in Lisbon. The concert will be performed by Miguel Costa (clarinet) and Fernando Brites (accordion), who will also present the piece Ludic V-B (premiere of the clarinet and accordion version) by Daniel Schvetz – composer published by the MIC.PT –, and Nuances a dois by Paulo Jorge Ferreira.

Sangue Inverso: Obsidiana (2017) for flute, clarinet and piano and Inverso Sangue: Cinábrio (2017) for violin, viola and cello, are the two works by Jaime Reis making part of the concert by the DME Ensemble conducted by Pedro Pinto Figueiredo, Vortex Temporum, geometrias do inelidível, scheduled for November 11 at the Cine-Teatro Avenida in Castelo Branco. Another piece by this composer published by the MIC.PT, Fluxus, Transitional Flow for viola and electronics, will be performed on November 20 by Aïda-Carmen Soanea (viola) in Freiburg, Germany (E-Werk), in the context of the concert by the Holst-Sinfonietta Soloists dedicated to 20th and 21st century music for solo instruments and electronics. This performance also includes the music by Jonathan Harvey, Iannis Xenakis, John Cage and João Pedro Oliveira.

The premiere of João Pedro Oliveira's work A Delicada Essência dos Sonhos, will take place this month in the context of the XIV Síntese – Contemporary Music Cycle (November 6 in Guarda, November 7 in Viseu and November 15 in Castelo Branco). On November 11 the Ball State University (USA) will host a concert with João Pedro Oliveira's music, accompanied by a seminar by this composer published by the MIC.PT. Additionally, his work Hokmah (2009) for clarinet and piano has received a Honourable Mention in the context of the call for scores – II Festival Expresiones Contemporáneas (Ensemble de la Raza); and the work Things I Have Seen in My Dreams (2019) is finalist at the ARFF Amsterdam 2020. Lastly, his work Rust (2017) for viola and electronics will be performed by Aïda-Carmen Soanea, on November 20 in Freiburg, Germany.

Daniel Davis, composer published by the MIC.PT, is one of the Emerging Creators chosen for the 3rd edition of the CriaSons Festival, a Musicamera Produções initiative. The jury of this edition – António Victorino D’Almeida, Carlos Azevedo, Mário Laginha, Pedro Caldeira Cabral and Tiago Derriça –, has also included other four composers in this selection: Francisco Fontes, João Fonseca e Costa, Luís Salgueiro and Vítor Castro. Overflowing with musical eclecticism and artistic interactions, the CriaSons puts emphasis on contemporary music creation commissioning original works to renowned composers residing in Portugal. During its 3rd edition the Festival's partner is the São Carlos National Theatre in Lisbon, which will host all the CriaSons concerts. At the first concert, on November 12, António Victorino d’Almeida proposes three of his «theatre suites», compositions especially created for theatre pieces, in this case, by Anton Chekhov, Eça de Queirós and Georges Feydeau, while Daniel Davis will present a new chamber music piece (world premiere) for violin, cello and piano – Between a Man and a Butterfly (2020).

The work The Poetry of an Impulse (2020) by Hugo Vasco Reis for electric guitar, accordion, theorbo & electronics, is included on the new CD by the Azione_Improvvisa Ensemble, whose release is scheduled for November 7 (Modena, Italy). This month two works by this composer published by the MIC.PT will be presented at the Música Viva 2020 Festival (O'culto da Ajuda) – Oceano Nox (2020) for soprano, flute, cello & piano by the Borealis Ensemble (November 10) and Colors Seen in Silence II (2020) for flute & piano by the Lisbon Ensemble XX/XXI (November 14). Moreover, in November two Hugo Vasco Reis' works will be premiered at the 14th Síntese Festival – Carta aos Remanescentes (2020) for soprano, saxophone, accordion, viola, cello, electronics & audience by the Síntese – GMC (November 14, Aldeia do Bispo) and Caligrafia do Vento (2020) for bass flute, bass clarinet, cello & guitar by the Collective Lovemusic (November 27 & 28, Castelo Branco & Guarda). Lastly, this month the composer's work Micro Images for Accordion (2020) will be recorded by Ghenadie Rotari and released on the accordionist's YouTube Channel (Diaries of Quarantine).

In the beginning of November Manuel Brásio, composer published by the MIC.PT will participate in the presentations of the piece Quem fala assim, a multidisciplinary project produced by the Interferência Association, joining two composers (José Tiago Baptista and Manuel Brásio) within a performance on the artistic and sonic potential of stuttering – Coimbra (November 5), Castelo Branco (November 6) and Seia (November 7). Additionally, Manuel Brásio's new miniature for solo instrument and narrator will be premiered at the Musa Prize 2020 Laureate Concert, organised by the MPMP – Patrimonial Movement for Portuguese Music, at the Biodiversity Gallery in Porto on November 13. This concert includes five new miniatures on the texts by Ruben A. – also composed by Agnelo Marinho, Camila Menino, José Tiago Baptista and Solange Azevedo –, as well as three works for the Pierrot quintet (flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano) by Diogo Novo Carvalho, João Godinho and Miguel Resende Bastos (winner of the Musa Prize 2020). Lastly, Manuel Brásio and Óscar Rodrigues, curator of the Digitópia Casa da Música, are authors of the music for the piece Nas Entre Linhas, based on the photo collection from the New State dictatorship in Portugal (November 14, gratin, Braga).

Between November 26 and 29, the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon will host the performances of the theatre piece Discurso sobre o Filho-da-Puta with the text by Alberto Pimenta, staging by Fernando Mora Ramos, performance by the Vocal Chords Quartet (Cibele Maçãs, Fábio Costa, Marta Taveira and Nuno Machado) and music by Miguel Azguime. «From a musical point of view Discurso sobre o Filho-da-Puta, (Speech on the Son of a Bitch) is almost a score. Alberto Pimenta's poetic writing has sonic qualities and thus it contains the elements favouring its distribution among various voices of a character who's simultaneously one and multiple» – reveals this composer published by the MIC.PT in the programme note. Additionally, two Miguel Azguime's works will be presented at the Música Viva 2020 Festival in Lisbon: D’un Horizon Tendu (2019) for clarinet, piano, violin and percussion, will be performed by the Sond'Ar-te Electric Ensemble and Pedro Carneiro (direction), on November 6 at the Festival's Opening Concert at the São Luiz Theatre (premiere of a new version of this piece commissioned by the Kwartludium Foundation); and on November 13 at the O'culto da Ajuda, the composer's new electroacoustic piece will be diffused through the Loudspeaker Orchestra.

The DME Ensemble invites the audiences for an original challenge at a concert with concise explanations on the exploration of time. Its programme includes 21st century works by the three composers published by the MIC.PT: Daniel Moreira (Noctis Lumina for viola), Paulo Ferreira-Lopes (Purity I for ensemble and electronics) and Jaime Reis (Sangue Inverso: Obsidiana · Inverso Sangue: Cinábrio for three instruments); as well as essential 20th century works by Brian Ferneyhough, Elliott Carter and Gérard Grisey. This concert, Vortex Temporum, geometrias do inelidível, performed by the DME Ensemble and Pedro Pinto Figueiredo (direction), will take place on November 11 at the Cine-Teatro Avenida in Castelo Branco.

The 14th edition of Síntese – Contemporary Music Cycle is on tour until December 6, visiting various locations in the north of Portugal – Aldeia do Bispo, Castelo Branco, Guarda and Viseu. The programme of the Cycle includes open rehearsals, meetings, workshops, the 4th National Contemporary Performance Competition and concerts by Nuno Aroso, the Collective Lovemusic and Síntese – Contemporary Music Group. Their programmes will include premiere performances of works by various composers published by the MIC.PT, such as: Christopher Bochmann, Hugo Vasco Reis and João Pedro Oliveira; as well as Ana Seara and Rúben Borges.

The 16th edition of the Autumn Festivals, an Aveiro University initiative with artistic direction by Pedro Rodrigues, is on tour, between October 30 and November 26, visiting Aveiro, Águeda, Ílhavo and Oliveira de Azeméis and celebrating the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven and Amália Rodrigues. The Festival's programme includes various concerts with works by composers published by the MIC.PT: on November 12 the Magnet Duo (Mário Teixeira and Nuno Aroso [percussion]) will perform the programme entitled (…) Do ferro ao bronze (…), with works by Ângela da Ponte and Ricardo Ribeiro (as well as Pedro Junqueira Maia and Inés Badalo); on November 14 the GMCL – Lisbon Contemporary Music Group will present the programme Three Anniversaries: Clotilde Rosa, Jorge Peixinho and GMCL, including works by Isabel Soveral and João Madureira, composers published by the MIC.PT (as well as by Luís Carvalho); on November 20 the Aveiro University FLUTUA – Flute Orchestra will perform the programme Fluctuations, which includes pieces by Amílcar Vasques-Dias and António Chagas Rosa (as well as by Luís Carvalho and Luís de Freitas Branco).

The 8th edition of the Espírito Santo Classical Music Festival (Brazil) will be taking place between November 6 and 28, comprising eight virtual concerts and five debates with live stream on the Festival's >> YouTube Channel. «The 8th edition of the Espírito Santo Classical Music Festival proposes a programme around the theme Boarders: interdiction and permeability, and the dichotomies deriving from it, such as global/ local, diference/ similarity, presence/ absence, freedom/ imprisonment, centre/ periphery. This theme creates the Festival's repertoire constituted of Brazilian, Portuguese and Latin-American works, with emphasis on the music by Brazilian 20th and 21st century composers and the production of female artists» – reveals the Festival's curator, Livia Sabag. The Festival's concert programmes include works by various Portuguese creators (and the ones residing in Portugal) – Constança Capdeville (Caixinha de música) and Daniel Schvetz (Trilogía del Ángel), composers published by the MIC.PT; as well as by Berta Alves de Sousa, Eurico Carrapatoso, Fernando Lopes-Graça and Luís de Freitas Branco.

Daniel Moreira (DMor0005)
As Três Faces da Serra (2014) · solo euphonium and trombone, and brass quintet

Daniel Moreira (DMor0006)
Singra o Navio (2014) · soprano and symphony orchestra

João Quinteiro (JQui0005)
Thánatos (2015) · nine clocklike players

Following the Festival's previous editions, the 26th edition of the Música Viva, Infinite Colours of the Sound, with artistic direction by Miguel Azguime, continues to put emphasis on the dissemination of contemporary music creation, being particularly dedicated to Portuguese composers and performers and to the relations between music and technology. Always presenting music made in the present and looking towards the future, the Música Viva 2020 highlights the vitality of music creation in Portugal, confronting different ideas and aesthetics and enabling an exchange between the audience, composers and performers. The programme of the 26th edition of the Música Viva, Infinite Colours of the Sound, includes works by 35 composers residing in Portugal. The Festival's Opening Concert, Triple Concert · Portuguese Music Scenery of Today, will take place on November 6 at the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon. It will include the participation of the three ensembles: the MPMP Ensemble conducted by Jan Wierzba, the Sond’Ar-te Electric Ensemble conducted by Pedro Carneiro, and the GMCL · Lisbon Contemporary Music Group conducted by João Paulo Santos. The programme of this concert, entirely dedicated to Portuguese music, includes works by various composers published by the MIC.PT: Carlos Caires, Clotilde Rosa, Constança Capdeville, João Madureira, Jorge Peixinho and Miguel Azguime; as well as by: Carlos Brito Dias, Diogo Novo Carvalho, João Godinho and Miguel Resende Bastos. Between November 7 and 14 the Música Viva 2020 events will be taking place at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. On November 7 the O'culto's stage will belong to the Sonoscopia from Porto; on November 8 it will be possible to "visit" the Auto-retrato installation for time, multipercussion, lighting, electronics and performer, by João Dias and José Alberto Gomes; on the Música Viva 2020 fourth day (November 9), the O'culto's stage will belong to the ESML Mixed Music Lab – José Luís Ferreira; on November 10 the Borealis Ensemble will present their most recent project Este Som de O Mar Praiar, with pieces by Fernando C. Lapa, Hugo Vasco Reis, Isabel Soveral (composers published by the MIC.PT), António Fragoso, Berta Alves de Sousa, David de Souza, Ernesto de Mello e Castro, Fernando Lopes-Graça, Frederico de Freitas, Nuno da Rocha, Rui Soares da Costa, Vasco Negreiros and Vianna da Motta; the concerts on November 12 and 13 will be dedicated to electroacoustic music diffused through the Loudspeaker Orchestra and composed by: António Ferreira, João Pedro Oliveira, Miguel Azguime (composers published by the MIC.PT), Claude Cadoz, Filipe Esteves and James Dashow. The Música Viva 2020 Final Concert, on November 14, will be performed by the Lisbon Ensemble XX/ XXI, artistically directed by Pedro Pinto Figueiredo. The Ensemble will also present an entirely Portuguese programme with the music by Gonçalo Gato, Hugo Vasco Reis, Jaime Reis, João Quinteiro, Jorge Peixinho (composers published by the MIC.PT) and Emmanuel Nunes. The live stream of the concerts at the O'culto da Ajuda will be available via the >> Miso Music Portugal YouTube Channel.

This November, in the context of the series Portuguese 20th and 21st Century Music Notebooks, the MIC.PT releases another new Notebook, this time dedicated to Álvaro Salazar (#21). This Series of bilingual editions constitutes an «introspection» into the work of each composer, published by the MIC.PT, at the same time being an incentive to explore and (re)discover not only their music, but also their reflection on music philosophy and aesthetics. Each Notebook is composed of a biographical note, questionnaire/ interview or musicological article, two catalogues of works – according to instrumentation and chronological –, as well as discography. Among 21 Notebooks 14 are already available in print: #1 · Paulo Ferreira-Lopes; #2 · Sara Carvalho; #3 · António Ferreira; #4 · António Chagas Rosa; #5 · Bruno Gabirro; #7 · Patrícia Sucena de Almeida; #8 · Miguel Azguime; #10 · Pedro Rebelo; #12 · João Madureira; #15 · Isabel Soveral; #16 · Tiago Cutileiro; #18 · João Castro Pinto; #20 · [ka'mi]; #21 Álvaro Salazar.

The 4th on-line Meeting · Portuguese Music Perspectives · Network Cooperation, will take place in the second half of November. This initiative follows the previous three Meetings which gathered 40 participants – including the representatives of 27 Portugueses Entities dedicated to invention and research music, and the members of the MIC.PT Scientific Board. These Meetings, organised by the Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre, have started the development of an informal network, whose participants discuss ideas and concrete solutions to improve in mid and long term the situation of invention and research music in Portugal and consequently of its composers.
All the Entities form the area of invention and research music in Portugal, which would like to integrate this informal network and to participate in the Meetings organised by the MIC.PT, are welcome communicate their interest via e-mail: mic[at]mic.pt.