April will feature the pre­miere of two works by Amílcar Vasques-Dias (a composer published by MIC.PT). The first premiere, of the work entitled Abetarda, will take place on April 10 at the Garcia de Resen­de Theatre in Évora, as part of the recital Birds of the Alen­tejo in Music, featuring pianist Ana Telles and biologist João Rabaça. This concert forms part of the project Lá nas Ár­vores – Cycle II: Take-Off, an initiative of the University of Évora and Projecto DME as part of Évora_27 – European Capital of Culture. The second premiere, of Amílcar Vas­ques-Dias’s 2017 work A-MARIS for piano and tape, per­formed by pianist Filipe Gaio Pereira, will take place on the 10th at the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library Auditorium in Porto. The concert, entitled Identi­dade(s), forms part of the Projeto:Canção Festival, which has partnered with MPMP Património Musical Vivo to present the works that won the 2025 MUSA Prize, paying tribute to Ana Luísa Amaral.

Written in 1995, the work Nove Canções de António Ramos Rosa by the com­poser António Pinho Vargas (published by MIC.PT) will be performed by the singer Luís Rendas Pereira and the pianist Filipe Gaio Pereira as part of the Identity(ies) recital, which will take place on April 10 at the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library Auditorium in Porto. As António Pinho Vargas himself stated in the programme notes from March 1996, available on MIC.PT: ‘The problem for me is the discourse, not the vocab­ulary, and I am not alone in this conviction. The theory-in-progress was shaped here by the beautiful poems of António Ramos Rosa. Some of them, and at times certain words within a poem, triggered a response’. Organised in part­nership with MPMP Património Musical Vivo, the concert Identity(ies) forms part of the Projeto:Canção Festival, high­lighting the vitality, diversity and relevance of chamber song within the current artistic landscape.

The work Meteoritos, for piano and electronics, by the composer Cândido Lima (published by MIC.PT), will be performed by pianist João Casimiro Almeida on April 11 at the Museum of Portuguese Music – Casa Ver­dades de Faria, in Estoril. This concert, which will also feature the singer and musicologist Sara Maia, will include works by Hugo Vasco Reis, Inés Badalo, Luigi Nono and Solange Azevedo. The recital forms part of the national tour to promote João Casimiro de Almeida’s album Espectros, released in 2024 under the neper music label. Composed in 1973, the work Meteoritos by Cândido Lima is characterised by experimentation with new concepts and structures. It was developed at a time when the composer was strongly influ­enced by his close contact with Iannis Xenakis and held po­sitions of responsibility as a teacher.

In Pulses is the title of the new work by Carlos Lopes (a composer published by MIC.PT), which will be pre­miered in April by the Sond’Ar-te Electric En­semble, conducted by Guillaume Bourgogne. The two con­certs by Sond’Ar-te, which will also feature works by José Carlos Sousa, Olivier Messiaen and Pedro Berardinelli in the programme, will take place on April 24 and 28, respectively, as part of the Viseu International Spring Music Festival and the Música Viva 2026 Festival – Insurgency, at the São Luiz Theatre in Lisbon. In the programme notes, Carlos Lopes reveals that ‘in Pulses is an attempt to condense, in its title, all the descriptive information about the work’, adding that ‘the name can be understood as in pulses or impulses, and this double meaning shapes the piece at various levels’. The work was commissioned by Miso Music Portugal.

As part of the Fifty-Fifty re­cital, which will take place on April 12 at Sonoscopia in Porto, viola player Trevor McTait will perform Noctis Lumina (2007), a piece for solo viola by composer Daniel Moreira (published by MIC.PT). The Fifty-Fifty project also includes pieces by other compo­sers published by MIC.PT: Ângela da Ponte, Eduardo Luís Patriarca, Hugo Vasco Reis, Igor C. Silva and Miguel Azgui­me. It is a celebration of contemporary creation, taking the form of a new album dedicated to works for solo viola and electronics. In an interview with MIC.PT in 2020, Daniel Morei­ra stated: ‘In my case, the most important extra-musical ref­erence is, without a doubt, cinema. I therefore have many pieces influenced by different aspects of cinema, ranging from general techniques to narrative structure, sounds or the atmospheres of particular films.’

Un Souffle, Le Rêve... is the title of the piece that Eduardo Luís Patriarca composed in 2016 for solo viola, which forms part of the Fifty-Fifty project and recital that violist Trevor McTait will present on April 12 at Sonoscopia in Porto. Another work by this composer published by MIC.PT, Imaginar de Passa­gem/Passagem para Imaginar (2025), for soprano, alto saxo­phone, two violins, viola, cello and accordion, commissioned by the Síntese – Contemporary Music Group, will be per­formed by the ensemble itself, conducted by Diogo Costa, on April 17, as part of the Viseu International Spring Music Fes­tival. Subtitled Between Luciano Berio and Carlos Paredes, the work by Eduardo Luís Patriarca pays a well-deserved tribute to these two composers, whose centenaries were celebrated throughout 2025.

The opera Pygmalion, with music by Gerson Batista (a composer published by MIC.PT) and libretto by Tiago Schwäbl Martins, will be performed on April 4 at the Teatro Aveirense. The opera, commissioned by FIO – Festival Informal de Ópera, premiered last September in Loulé as part of the same event. A new version of the opera will be presented at the Teatro Aveirense, making extensive use of visual, dramatic, and acoustic and electroacoustic sound elements to offer a dystopian interpretation of the myth of Pygmalion, the sculptor who falls in love with his statue. Rita Castro Blanco will conduct the opera, with Antônio Lourenço Menezes performing the role of Pygmalion and Sara Afonso performing the role of Mannequin. It will also feature the Ensemble Instrumental Efeito Pigmalião and the Coro Voz Nua. The staging is by João Vieira Fino.

Hugo Vasco Reis’s cre­ation, Ténue (2026), for viola, percussion and elec­tronics, part of the Sonic Figures Project and per­formed by Trevor McTait (viola), Miquel Bernat (percussion) and the composer himself (electronics), will be presented at Sonoscopia in Porto on April 12. The day before, the musicians will give a workshop related to this work as part of PEMS – Porto Electronic Music Symposium, organised by Casa da Música through Digitópia. Additionally, the piece Vulnerability (2025) by the composer (published by MIC.PT) will be performed by Síntese – GMC on April 17, as part of the Viseu International Spring Music Fes­tival. Finally, the solo-piano piece Metamorfoses e Resso­nâncias (2014), will be performed as part of João Casimiro Almeida’s recital Espectros on the 11th at the Portuguese Music Museum – Casa Verdades de Faria, in Estoril.

In April, two works by the composer Igor C. Silva (published by MIC.PT) will be performed in Portugal and the Netherlands. The first piece, Gin#122, com­posed in 2014 for kalimba and electronics, forms part of the programme for the Caixa Elétrica recital that percus­sionist João Dias will give at O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon on the 10th, as well as on the 11th and 12th, respectively in Odemira, at the Igreja da Misericórdia, and at the Estação das Artes in Santa-Clara-a-Velha. The second work, Love Your Opinions (2024), for flexible ensemble and live electronics, will be performed by the Black Pencil on April 24 at the Chassé Theater in Breda (Netherlands), as part of the concert entitled Electric Delights.

The electroacoustic work La mer émeraude (2018), by composer João Pedro Oliveira (published by MIC.PT), forms part of the programme for the acous­matic concert to be held as part of the project Lá nas Árvores – Cycle II: Take-Off. The concert will take place on April 12 at the Salão Central Eborense. Lá nas Árvores is a project by Évora_27 – European Capital of Culture, led by the Univer­sity of Évora, in partnership with Projecto DME and Asso­ciação Lisboa Incomum, under the artistic direction of Ana Telles. Another work by João Pedro Oliveira, Revolution Pop (2024), will be performed by Síntese – GMC, conducted by Diogo Costa, at the Auditorium of the Paços de Brandão Music Academy on April 25.

The work Pairs – à propos de l’interiorité (2024) by composer João Quinteiro (published by MIC.PT) forms part of the programme for the concert that the duo nada contra — featuring Mrika Sefa (piano and keyboards) and Francisco Cipriano (percussion) — will give as part of the Música Viva Festival 2026 – Insurgency, on April 30, at the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon. In the programme notes, the duo’s musicians state that this collection of works — which also includes compositions by Anda Kryeziu (pre­miere — commission by the MMP), Marta Domingues and Valerio Sannicandro — arose from collabo­ration with com­posers they admire. Francisco Cipria­no and Mrika Sefa em­phasise that ‘each piece present­ed here is the result of a mutual commitment to friction and freedom’.

Peixinho Político is the title of the concert that the MPMP Ensem­ble will per­form at the Música Viva 2026 Festival – Insurgency, on April 29, at the São Luiz Theatre in Lisbon. The programme features three works by Jorge Peixinho (a composer published by MIC.PT), created between 1970 and 1976: CDE, for clarinet, violin, cello and piano; the electroacoustic piece Elegia a Amílcar Cabral; and A Aurora do Socia­lismo (Madrigale Capriccioso), for flute, horn, violin, piano and electronics. The programme notes for this concert reveal: ‘Jorge Peixinho took it upon himself to consider what political music might be. Being a case of ab­solute originality in Portugal, no other composer was so com­mitted to the musical expression of his political ideals in mu­sic, and of his musical ideals in politics.’

In April, José Carlos Sousa (a composer published by MIC.PT) will have two works performed at the Viseu International Spring Music Festival. The first, Milodnab et Sarratiug (2025), for guitar and mandolin orchestra, will be performed by the Portuguese Guitar and Mandolin Orches­tra, conducted by Hélder Magalhães. The concert will take place on the 22nd, in the Aula Magna of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu. The second work, Mafish Mushkila (2026), commissioned by the Sond’Ar-te Electric Ensemble, will be premiered by Sond’Ar-te, conducted by maestro Guillaume Bourgogne, on the 24th, at the Clube de Viseu. In the pro­gramme notes, José Carlos Sousa reveals that ‘Mafish mushkila has been inspired by a recent trip to Egypt, whose experiences and contrasts have profoundly shaped the work’s imagery’. This month, Sond’Ar-te will perform it again on the 28th at the Música Viva 2026 Festival – Insurgency, at the São Luiz Theatre in Lisbon.

The work Coro dos Pequenos Cidadãos, for choir and electronics, by Mariana Vieira (a composer published by MIC.PT), will be performed on April 9 at the Salão Central Eborense, as part of the festival Lá nas Árvores – Ciclo II: Take-Off, a project by Évora_27 – Euro­pean Capital of Culture, led by the University of Évora, in partnership with Projecto DME and the Lisboa Incomum As­sociation. Composed in 2021, the work Coro dos Peque­nos Cidadãos will be performed by a community choir formed for the occasion, under the musical direction of Pedro Nasci­mento. In addition, Mariana Vieira’s work, Escuro (2025), for soprano and piano, was awarded an Honourable Mention as part of the 2025 Musa Prize, an initiative of MPMP Patri­mónio Musical Vivo. The piece will be premiered at the Projec­to:Canção Festival (Identidade(s) concert), by the singer Camila Mandillo and the pianist Filipe Gaio Pereira, on April 10 at the Almeida Garrett Library in Porto.

Entre Chien et Loup (2026) is the title of a new piece for vibraphone and live electronics by composer Miguel Azguime (published by MIC.PT), which percus­sionist Jonathan Silva will premiere on April 17 at O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, as part of the Vridges project. On the same day, in Barcelona, percus­sionist Miquel Bernat will perform Miguel Azguime’s new work for solo vibraphone, entitled Mineralizando! (2026). This concert forms part of a festival organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. In ad­dition, another piece by Miguel Azguime, Ícone I, created in 1992 for a wooden barrel and wooden ladder, forms part of the recital Caixa Elétrica, which the percussionist João Dias will perform at O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, on April 10, as well as on the 11th and 12th, respectively in Odemira (Portugal), at the Igreja da Misericórdia, and at the Estação das Artes (Arts’ Station) in Santa-Clara-a-Velha.

The premiere of the work per lamentationem, by Patrícia Sucena Almeida (a composer published by MIC.PT), will take place on April 24 at the Auditorium of the São Teotónio School of Music in Coimbra. The ensemble responsible for commis­sioning the work is the Lisbon Contemporary Music Group, which will perform it under the baton of conductor João Defeza, alongside three miniatures/arrangements by Jorge Sá Machado based on three works by Jorge Peixinho: CDE, Sine Nomine and Coral. The students of the São Teotónio School of Music will join in the performance of these minia­tures, as well as the final collective improvisation. Quoting an excerpt from the programme notes by Patrícia Sucena Almeida on the work per lamentationem: ‘Mother Earth emits deep moans that merge with those echoing through the hu­man world. They form a collective lament crying out for a new direction...’.

On April 25, at the Teatro das Figuras in Faro, a new work for orchestra and audience by composer Sara Carvalho (published by MIC.PT) will receive its premiere. Entitled emergimos da noite e do silêncio, this composition evokes the collective energy of the revolution, incorporating the audience’s direct participation as a sonic and emotional element of the narrative. The concert pro­gramme — Celebration of April 25: New Memories of the Revolution — also includes a tribute to Sérgio Godinho, featuring orchestrations by Xavier Ribeiro of various songs by the poet, composer and performer. The performance will be given by the Algarve Orchestra, the Canto Novo ensem­ble, the singer Tiago Nacarato, the A.M.A. Community Choir and the conductor Pablo Urbina. In addition, Sara Carvalho’s work sobre a areia o tempo poisa (2016), for piano, violin and cello, has been selected for the MISE-EN Festival 2026, which will take place in New York, USA, in June.

Ressonâncias Climáticas: A Sinfonia das Esferas Per­cussivas (Climate Reso­nances: The Symphony of Percussive Spheres) is a new multimedia perfor­mance, written by Vítor Rua (a composer published by MIC.PT), co-written and performed by percussionist João Pedro Lourenço, with prose recited by actor João Reis. This performance, or ‘opera’ (as Vítor Rua himself calls it), will be presented on April 7 at O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. As the authors reveal in the programme notes, divided in six parts, the work ‘Climatic Resonances: The Symphony of Percus­sive Spheres tran­scends artistic boundaries, offering a unique sensory and intellectual experience. Combining percussive performance, video projections, lighting design, immersive scenography, poetry and real-time sound pro­cessing, this multimedia production transforms art into a powerful vehicle for reflecting on the interconnection between human beings, nature and the cosmos.’

On April 21, at O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, the new book, Zeca Afonso – Music Studies for Two Cellos will have its official release. It results from the work carried out by Eva Aguilar, Lluïsa Paredes and Pedro do Carmo, inspired by an idea by cellist Paulo Gaio Lima. This new publication is supported by the Portuguese Republic – Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/Directorate-General for the Arts, the 50th Anniversary of April 25 Commemorative Committee, the José Afonso Association, the National Library of Portugal, RTP Antena 2 and the Portuguese Music Research and Information Centre – MIC.PT. The publication intertwines the tradition of the cello with the work of the singer-songwriter José Afonso, viewing it as a laboratory for experimentation with the act of perfor­mance, where reflection arises from the very encounter with his work. It is both an educational and performative tool: each song is accompanied by notes, texts and digital resources that enhance the listening experience. The digital edition, Zeca Afonso – Music Studies for Two Cellos, will be available via the Catalogue of Scores published by MIC.PT. The release concert will feature ethnomusicologist Hugo Castro, cellist Pedro Serra e Silva, journalist Pedro Boléo and the Zeca Afonso Cellos: Eva Aguilar, Lluïsa Paredes, Jasmim Mandillo and Pedro do Carmo.

The start date of the annual contemporary music fest, organised by Miso Music Portugal, with a special focus on music created in Portugal, is fast ap­proaching. The 32nd edition of the Música Viva Festival, entitled Insurgência (Insurgency), ‘establishes itself’, in the words of its artistic director, Miguel Azguime, ‘as a stage for aesthetic and ethical resistance in a world marked by deep crises’. As Miguel Azguime emphasises: ‘In this 32nd edition, Insurgency is both poetic and political. Musical creation emerges as an act of confrontation, deviation, and refusal, asserting art as a sensitive weapon against structural violence, dehumanisation, and the logic of fear. The works presented do not seek comfort but rather friction: they question, expose wounds, open fissures, and summon new forms of listening, thinking, and presence’. The festival programme includes a wide range of works created by Portuguese composers: Bruno Gabirro, Carlos Brito Dias, Carlos Lopes, Diogo Alvim, Fernando Lopes-Graça, João Quinteiro, Jorge Peixinho, José Carlos Sousa, Marta Domingues, Miguel Azguime, Pedro Berardinelli and Solange Azevedo. As for the performers, the festival programme features individuals and groups who have performed several times at Música Viva, as well as new partic­ipants: the Duo Nada Contra with Mrika Sefa (piano) and Francisco Cipriano (percussion), the MPMP Ensemble, the Percussion Group of the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra conducted by Pedro Carneiro, pianist José Pedro Ribeiro, the Miso String Quartet, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra conducted by Pedro Neves, the Braga Sinfonietta, and the Sond’Ar-te Electric En­semble conducted by Guillaume Bourgogne. This year, the Música Viva Festival also celebrates poetry as a political and sonic act: at each concert, poets, writers and actors read poems about insurgency, resistance and freedom; voices that enter into dialogue with the musical works, broadening the scope of meaning of each performance. Poetry and texts by: Shahd Wadi, Gisela Casimiro, Jorge de Sena, Luiz de Camões, Audre Lorde, Mrika Sefa, Sidónio Muralha, Gonçalo M. Tavares and Mário Dionisio. The Música Viva 2026 Festival will take place from April 28 to May 3 at the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon.

Applications are now open for the international competition Writing for Big Band – A Challenge?, organised by the pro­moters of the New Voices of the Big Band Cultural Project, in partnership with the Romanian Radio Big Band, through the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, and co-funded by the Romanian National Culture Fund Administration. The aim of the competition is to pro­mote and encourage original composition for the big band ensemble — a specific jazz ensem­ble, but one that has frequently been integrated into other hybrid musical genres, particularly in recent decades. The competition is open to young composers who are citizens/residents of European countries and aged between 18 and 35. The deadline is May 10, 2026.

The International Music Festival of Póvoa de Varzim (FIMPV) announces the 19th edition of the International Composition Competition of Póvoa de Varzim (CICPV). The CICPV’s objec­tive is to award works by composers born after December 1, 1985. The music group invited to the 2026 edition is the Póvoa de Varzim Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by maestro Stanley Dodds. Compe­tition entries must use at least ten different instruments from this ensemble. The jury, which will award two prizes and reserves the right to also award honourable mentions, is composed of Vasco Mendonça (president), Ângela da Ponte and Nik Bärtsch. The deadline for submitting works is June 3, 2026.

To promote and encourage the creation of contemporary music and to disseminate the work of young composers, the Portuguese Authors Society and RTP/Antena 2 are holding another SPA/Antena 2 Composition Prize. The competition is open to composers of Portuguese nationality, or to foreigners who have been resident in Portugal for more than four years, who were born on or after January 1, 1991. Submitted works must be unpublished, purely orchestral pieces, with no use of soloists or electronic media. The premiere of the winning piece, performed by the Gulbenkian Orchestra, will take place at the 16th Young Musicians Festival at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon on September 17, 2026. Appli­cations must be sent by registered post by July 3, 2026 (date of receipt).

Applications are open for the 2026 Accordion Composition Award (9th Edition · Folefest Association). This award is open to composers of Portuguese nationality or non-Portuguese residents in Portugal, of any age. The work to be submitted must be unpublished. The promoter of the Award reserves the right to the organisation of the world premieres of the winning works. The works submitted for the competition must be written for a chamber music ensemble (two to six instruments), with the mandatory inclusion of a single accordion. The jury will be composed of: Daniel Moreira (composer), Ana Seara (composer), Paulo Jorge Ferreira (accordionist/composer/jury president) and Nélson Ruivo (secretary — Folefest Association). Applications must be sent by registered post by July 17, 2026 (date of dispatch).

With the aim to encourage the creation and diffusion of new acousmatic/electroacoustic works, Miso Music Portugal promotes and organises the 27th edition of the International Electroacoustic Composition Competition – Música Viva 2026. The competition is open to composers of any nation­ality and age, each of whom may submit only one work, which has not been commercially published or awarded at any other national or international competition. The jury of the 27th International Electroacoustic Composition Competition – Música Viva 2026, whose members will be announced shortly, will award one work with a prize of 500 €. The winning work will be performed in concert by the Miso Music Loudspeakers Orchestra, in 2026, in Lisbon. The deadline for the works’ submission is July 31, 2026 (11h59 p.m., Lisbon time).

The Portuguese Symphonic Band promotes the International Composition Competition with the aim of stimulating the creation of original repertoire for bands. Open to composers of all nationalities aged up to 40 (as of December 31, 2026), the competition sees musical composition as a space for artistic dialogue often inspired by other areas. In the 2026 edition, the BSP proposes as its theme Portugal’s accession to the European Union. Participants are challenged to create an original work that establishes an artistic and conceptual relationship with the proposed theme. The jury’s final decision on the results of the competition will be made after the public premiere of the finalists’ works, which will take place at a concert by the Portuguese Symphonic Band in November, in Porto. Entries for the competition must be submitted by September 20, 2026.

In March, the MIC.PT published on its YouTube Channel one new In the 1st Person Interview (in Portuguese) with the composer Eduardo Luís Patriarca. The musicologist and journalist Pedro Boléo conducted this interview recorded in 2022, in Porto, at the Higher School of Music and Performing Arts.
Presently the MIC.PT YouTube Channel contains 37 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 Music of Invention and Research radio broadcasts, produced by the MIC.PT and Miso Music Portugal for the RTP 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 20 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.