In July, the MIC.PT dedicates the In Focus section to Jaime Reis, composer of instrumental, mixed and electroacoustic music, teacher and artistic director of the DME Project and the Lisboa Incomum.
Jaime Reis was born in December 1983 and began his music studies in Seia. In this initial phase, one can highlight the valuable learning experience, thanks to the approach by the ethnomusicologist António Tilly and the conditions proportionated by the Music Conservatory in Seia. In his path, Jaime Reis also emphasises the importance of regular contact with other composers, such as Emmanuel Nunes and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Simultaneously, he evidences the significance of the composer’s relation with the world, considering it expected that the one who composes divides their time between diverse functions – from research and edition to programming and networking.
Among Jaime Reis’ activities in July and August, one needs to highlight the conference, Exploring Polyphony in Spatial Patterns in Acousmatic Music, on July 6 at the Lisboa Incomum, within the Summer School for Composers 2023 (DME Project); the premiere of Magistri Mei: Bach (2020) for guitar and electronics, performed by Bertrand Chavarria-Aldrete on the 9th also at the Lisboa Incomum (Summer School for Composers 2023); and the presentation of his music in the context of the DME Ensemble’s tour in Brazil, between August 16 and 27 (Salvador, Goiânia, Anápolis, Pirenópolis, Brasília, São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro).

‘I believe that the title of a work can guide the listener towards a determined meaning’ – says Amílcar Vasques-Dias (a composer published by MIC.PT) in the MIC.PT interview from November 2015. It is the case of his recent piece with the surprising title Acarro (2022), which refers to the Alentejo designation for animals gathering under a tree to seek shelter from the weather. Drawing inspiration from this Alentejo scenario, the composer, as mentioned in the programme notes, aims to ‘appeal to the imagination of performers and listeners.’ It is a work for string quartet commissioned by the Ritornello Cultural Association within the DGArtes programme. The premiere, performed by the Contemporary String Quartet, will take place on July 2 at the Monographic Museum of Conímbriga, followed by a performance on the next day at the auditorium of the Music Conservatory in Seia (the piece will also have performances on various other occasions until November 10). At these concerts, five quartets by five Portuguese composers will have their premieres: in addition to Amílcar Vasques-Dias, works by Ana Magalhães, João Pedro Oliveira, Sara Carvalho and Hugo Vasco Reis (the latter three also edited by MIC.PT) will be presented.

Ângela da Ponte’s work for flute & electronics, We can’t breathe, has been selected for the ISCM World New Music Days 2023 in the context of the Miso Music Portugal/ MIC. PT’s application for this festival by the International Society for Contemporary Music, occurring between November 24 and December 3 in South Africa. Composed in 2021, We can’t breathe is a commission by the Arte no Tempo. ‘The year 2021, and we cannot read the title without thinking about the literal (use of a mask) and social (rules/ exclusion measures) aspects that the COVID-19 imposed throughout 2020 dragging into 2021’, says Ângela da Ponte (a composer published by the MIC.PT). And she continues: ‘The physical consequences (shortness of breath, tiredness) are visible, but although the negative aspects seem to outweigh the positive ones, the creation of this piece results exactly from the exploration of a closed and intimate ambience that isolation provided and where one can also explore and consider indefinite sounds beautiful.’ In July, Ângela da Ponte is a keynote speaker at the National Meeting for Composition and Music Analysis: Educational Perspectives in Coimbra, where, on the 12th, she’ll make the presentation, Akousma – The Curtain of Pythagoras.

Manifesto Nada (2022), an opera by António de Sousa Dias (a composer published by the MIC.PT), will have its performance on July 7 at the Gil Vicente Academic Theatre in Coimbra. This ‘opera-manifesto against and in favour of everything and decidedly about nothing’, as its creators present it, is directed by Alexandre Lyra Leite, who’s also the author of the libretto. The work’s base is the Dadaist movement, more specifically, Tristan Tzara’s DADA Manifesto (1918), and thus António de Sousa Dias’ music follows a path of deconstruction with no logical rules, blinking the eye to different music expressions (note that ‘dada’ means, as the title of the opera exposes, ‘nothing’ [‘nada’]). This project refers to the denial of all conventions that form us as a society, being composed for a baritone, performed by Rui Baeta; two sopranos, Joana Manuel and Célia Teixeira; a wind duo, with Fábio Oliveira on trumpet and Philippe Trovão on tenor saxophone; and a double bass, played by Guilherme Reis. Besides these musicians, António de Sousa Dias will manipulate the electronics. The producer of this work is Inestética.

On the last day of the PercuArt – Percussion Festival promoted by ESART – College of Applied Arts, it will be possible to hear ESART Percussion Group’s performance of António Pinho Vargas’ Estudos e Interlúdios (2000), a piece for six percussionists. The 4th edition of the PercuArt, founded in 2020, is under the direction of the percussionists André Dias and Bruno Costa and will take place between July 11 and 14 at the Cine-Teatro Avenida in Castelo Branco. Approximately 23 years ago, this composer (published by the MIC.PT) wrote regarding the piece that ‘each of the studies has a specific problem, at the same time technical and compositional, in the instructive tradition that goes from Chopin and Debussy to Ligeti’. Apart from the studies, the work also includes three interpolated interludes. It’s worth noting that the composer will present this piece before the concert. Besides these free-entrance presentations, and concerts, the festival’s programme includes workshops. Among the musicians participating in the event are Daniel Bernardes, Michael Burritt and the Jeff Davis Trio.

After various artistic residencies at the O’culto da Ajuda and other venues dedicated to music creation, which originated in the CD Aduf&lectrónica released by the Miso Records, the percussionist Rui Silva and Bruno Gabirro (a composer published by the MIC.PT) will give a concert on August 10 at the Quintal da Música, in Odemira. At this concert, they will perform their five creations for adufe and live electronics: ~n!, Reverb, Harmoniemusik, Caleidoscópio de ritmos tradicionais, Delay and Duo para dois adufes (2019-2022). Besides the name of the CD, Aduf&lectrónica is their project aiming to bring the adufe, an instrument whose ‘identity and singularity emanates from the Oral Tradition of the songs, dances, and performance in the Idanha-a-Nova and Paúl (Covilhã) regions’, to the tradition of classical, contemporary music. If, on the one hand, the circumscription gives it a mythical aura, on the other, it reduces the possibilities of its development. In this sense, using live electronics becomes liberating, creating a ‘form of written and improvised music’. Based on experimentation and research, this work reflects the direct and constant contact between composer and instrumentalist.

‘What’s fundamental is the timbre – it directly concerns the instruments and their performance. I like to play on instruments’ idiosyncrasies and their characteristic timbres’ – said Christopher Bochmann, a composer published by MIC.PT, in the MIC.PT interview from June 2014. In July, the audience can enjoy this timbral richness in Christopher Bochmann’s work through a particular instrument: the saxophone. On July 6, the performance of Canzona V (2022) for saxophone orchestra will occur in Viseu at the 8th Dão Saxophone Orchestra & Percussion Masterclasses, where Christopher Bochmann is the guest conductor. The piece will also be performed on July 12 in Palmela at the Palmela International Saxophone Festival. On these two days, the piece’s performer will be the Dão Saxophone Orchestra, conducted by the composer. Also, on July 12, at the same festival, the world premiere of Christopher Bochmann’s Glosas (2023) for saxophone (alto and soprano) and string orchestra will take place at the Santiago Church in Palmela. In this context, the Ensemble MPMP string orchestra conducted by Jan Wierzba will join the soloist Carlos Canhoto.

In July, Fernando C. Lapa (a composer published by MIC.PT) will have various guitar works presented on three occasions. On the 6th, the concert entitled Portuguese Music for Guitar: Works by Fernando Lapa, will occur in Fundão, with Matilde Andrade as a commentator. It will feature six works, including two pieces for two guitars: Itinerários (1999) and Suíte D'Oiro (2010); and also: Plural VIII (2004) for cello and guitar, Como se canta o fogo, o mar e o som dos barcos (2010) for guitar trio, Três ou quatro notas para Florbela (2012) for flute and guitar and Lamentos (2007) for soprano, guitar and cello. The concert’s performers are Hugo Simões, Francisco Berény and Rita Barbosa on guitars, Tiago Azevedo e Silva on cello, Monika Streitová on flute and the soprano Daniela Matos. Additionally, the composer’s Canções populares transmontanas (2013) will be performed twice this month, be the 5G5C Ensemble. One of the performances will also occur on 6 July at the Gulbenkian Conservatory in Braga, and The second performance will occur on the 9th at the National Pantheon in Lisbon.

Ode à Serra da Estrela (2023) is the title of the new work by Helder Filipe Gonçalves (composer published by the MIC.PT), which will premiere on July 2 at the Mártir-in-Colo Amphitheater, in the context of the Covilhã Live ART Festival, promoted by the Regional Music Conservatory in Covilhã. The performers of this piece, with text by José Luiz Adriano, will be the Symphony Orchestra, Mixed Choir, and the Choir of the Orfeão da Covilhã. The 2nd edition of the Covilhã Live ART Festival marks the end of the School Year of the Covilhã Orfeão/ Music Conservatory. It is a cultural initiative dedicated to music, dance and theatre, involving all its students (from the preschool to the secondary, within the various attendance regimes). It occurs in different spaces and venues of the city, such as the Jardim do Lago, Mártir-in-Colo Amphitheater, Covilhã Municipal Theatre and Manuel Campos Costa Auditorium. With various concerts, activities and spectacles, the Festival’s organisers aim to create communication and affinity bridges with the community that receives them, taking art to different city spaces.

Hugo Vasco Reis (a composer published by the MIC.PT) will have various activities and works performed in Portugal in July. On the 1st and 2nd, together with the pianist Helena Marinho and the conductor Yan Mikirtumov, he will make part of the jury at the 5th edition of the National Contemporary Performance Competition, promoted by the Síntese – Contemporary Music Group, occurring at the Casa dos Magistrados (Covilhã). On July 2, at the Monographic Museum in Conímbriga, the Contemporary String Quartet will premiere his String Quartet No. 1 – Imago (2023), commissioned by this ensemble with the support of the Momentum Foundation (Switzerland). This new string quartet will have another performance, on July 3, at the auditorium of the Music Conservatory in Seia. Additionally, the Trio Elogio (Croatia) will present the piece Quasi Ritorno (2019) for three guitars at the Cistermúsica 2023 Festival on July 22 & 23 (Évora & Alcobaça); and at the International Music Festival in Marvão, on July 23.

João Pedro Oliveira (a composer published by MIC.PT) has received the annual commission for the Music Current Festival, promoted by the Dublin Sound Lab. In this sense, he will compose a new violin and (bass) clarinet work with electronics and video projection for the festival’s next year’s edition. It is ‘an opportunity to deepen my research on synesthetic relations between sounds and images’, says João Pedro Oliveira. Among the most recent awards, João Pedro Oliveira has also received, for the audiovisual opera The 70th Week (2021-2022) exploring biblical prophecies, the prize for best experimental film at the Frida Festival Alfred Hitchcock Awards, and the best sound design and photography at the 8 & HalFilm Awards. Additionally, the title Timshel – The Freedom of Choice by the Ónix Ensemble, a formation based in Mexico, is worth noting regarding the release of new CDs. This monographic compilation includes six compositions by João Pedro Oliveira – solo, ensemble, and electronic pieces.

Ricardo Matosinhos (a composer published by MIC.PT) will have his piece Horn Class Party (2023) premiered at the Trakai Fanfare Week 2023 (Lithuania). This festival and summer academy is indicated for saxophone, brass, and percussion players. They will be able to attend workshops, seminars, and concerts. The event is celebrating its 15th edition and will occur between July 31 & August 6. Ricardo Matosinhos’ piece is a horn sextet composed at the request of the horn professor, Indrė Kuleševičienė. Given the educational context of the piece’ premiere, Horn Class Party has a difficulty that allows different levels of learning, joining beginners and more experienced musicians. Despite its short duration, the piece has four movements with contrasting moments, dynamic passages and improvisational sections. Additionally, on July 12, Ricardo Matosinhos will make a presentation entitled With Music in my Pocket: how mobile devices can enhance musical learning, at the National Meeting for Composition and Music Analysis: Educational Perspectives in Coimbra.

Sara Carvalho (a composer published by MIC.PT) will have two premieres in July. The Contemporary String Quartet, with António Ramos and Clara Dias (violins), Diana Antunes (viola) and Rogério Peixinho (cello), will premiere the piece ... is a wasted emotion (2023). The performances will occur on two days: July 2 & 3, at the Monographic Museum of Conímbriga and the Music School in Seia. This premiere makes part of a Ritornello Cultural Association project, also with works by other composers – Ana Magalhães, João Pedro Oliveira, Amílcar Vasques-Dias and Hugo Vasco Reis (the latter three published by MIC.PT). On July 13, Nuno Aroso will premiere Sara Carvalho’s work for multi-percussion and audience, legato per eco (2013), at the Trobada de percussió 2023 in Majorca, Polença (July 9-13). ‘With my music I try to make timbres and sonorities, searching for my interior sound world. I don’t intend it to be a programmatic process, but one where the music makes the listeners construct their narratives’ – said the composer in the MIC.PT 2014 interview.

Following the 2016 and 2019 editions, the third edition of ENCAPE 2023 – National Meeting for Composition and Music Analysis: Educational Perspectives, organised by Interferência, INET-md, CFAE Minerva, will occur on July 11 and 12 at the Coimbra Music Conservatory. Bringing together different perspectives, ideas, and research in Composition and Music Analysis, the Meeting includes conferences by the two composers published by the MIC. PT: Ângela da Ponte (Akousma – The Curtain of Pythagoras), Ricardo Matosinhos (With Music in my Pocket: how mobile devices can enhance musical learning), and Rui Dias (The electronic music ensemble as a platform enabling the teaching/ learning process). Among the other participants, David Miguel (a composer published by the MIC.PT) will be responsible for moderating the two round tables of the meeting – Identities, encounters and perspectives: what bothers us?; and Digital paradises: what do we not want?. Besides David Miguel, Sara Carvalho, Manuel Brásio, (composers published by the MIC.PT), and José Tiago Baptista also make part of the ENCAPE 2023 organising committee.

A new review in Portuguese entitled Uma dança de imagens sonoras: Chagas Rosa com Braga Santos e Ligeti, by Sara Maia was published on the Espaço Crítica para a Nova Música/ New Music Review Lounge in June. The author reflects on the concert that occurred on May 27, performed by the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Pedro Neves, at the Museu Nacional dos Coches, in Lisbon. The concert featured works by Joly Braga Santos, António Chagas Rosa, and György Ligeti, with emphasis given by the author to the performance of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Chagas Rosa, which premiered the day before as part of the Contemporary Music Reenconters, promoted by the Arte no Tempo association.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture/ Direção-Geral das Artes and the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive, the MPMP Património Musical Vivo announces the Musa Prize, with applications open until August 31. The fifth edition of the award, created in 2019, will celebrate Natália Correia’s centenary. For this reason, all the works in the competition must be based on her literary work. One should also note that the pieces must be unpublished in addition to being composed for solo female voices. The use of electronics or other transdisciplinary means is optional. In the organisers’ words, the MPMP created the Musa Prize ‘to distinguish musical excellence in the contemporary composition of classical tradition and promote the Portuguese language as an expressive vehicle’. The jury includes the composers Ângela da Ponte and Rui Penha, both published by the MIC.PT, and the soprano Raquel Camarinha.

The DME Project presents the 12th edition of the Electroacoustic Nano Musicians Competition to promote electroacoustic composition among the younger generations. Only official music students under 21 years old can apply. The deadline is November 27, and the jury is formed by the composers João Pedro Oliveira and Jaime Reis, the artistic director of the DME Project. The pieces written for any instrument must last less than five minutes, and the presence of electronics is mandatory. The selected works will have a public presentation by the competition composers at the Seia Music Conservatory in December this year at a concert integrating the DME Festival. The final results and the distribution of the different prizes will be known only at the end of the festival.

To encourage national music composition for children and youth choirs, Miso Music Portugal is promoting the Águas Gémeas competition. The applications are open until the end of October 31 (new deadline). Only Portuguese composers up to 35 years old are eligible, and the works must be original. The competition is part of a homonymous scientific research and artistic creation project directed by the anthropologist Pedro Prista and developed in the territory of the Santa Clara dam in Odemira. The project’s theme dedicated to water focuses on the reformulation of a resource that is the ‘key to understanding the cultural forms of the relationship we build with the world and with others’, but that is also ‘socially alienated’, says Pedro Prista in the text Uma nota sobre a gemelidade da água. Regarding the musical form of the competition works, one should consider two categories: children's choir (SSA), or youth choir (SATB) allowing longer pieces. The competition’s jury includes the participation of Basilio Astúlez Duque (Spain), Erica Mandillo (Portugal), Miguel Azguime (Portugal), and Sanna Valvanne (Finland). The Children and Youth Choir of the University of Lisbon will premiere the winning works, and the Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre – MIC.PT will publish their scores.

Since June a new In the 1st Person Interview (in Portuguese), with the composer Bruno Gabirro, is available on the MIC.PT YouTube Channel.
Presently the MIC.PT YouTube Channel contains 26 New Interviews to composers residing in Portugal, realised since 2019; as well as eight Interviews from the MIC.PT Archive, realised between 2003 and 2005.
The New Interviews, conducted by Pedro Boléo, were filmed at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon and realised in the context of the In the 1st Person cycle of the Music Today and Research & Invention Music radio broadcasts, produced by the MIC.PT and Miso Music Portugal for the Antena 2. They constitute a (re)visit to the creative universe of various composers published by the MIC.PT, following the Historical Interviews recorded by the MIC.PT almost 15 years ago. Today they are unique registers of the artistic evolution of each interviewed composer.
In order to access the Interviews (in Portuguese) follow the links below or visit the MIC.PT YouTube Channel.