In the midst of April and the beginning of May João Castro Pinto will make a tour in Eastern Europe – Russia and Estonia. Firstly, this composer published by the MIC.PT will give two con-certs – one solo on April 19 and the other one collaborative on April 20 –, in the framework of the Poetronica festival in Moscow. This event promotes creations in the area of sonic, video art and contemporary poetry. Still on April 19, João Castro Pinto will give a conference focused on his work and particularly on soundscape composition. The collaborative concert on April 20 will include the participation of various sonic & video artists and poets. On April 26, João Castro Pinto will head to Saint Petersburg to give a solo perfor-mance at the Museum of Sound (the Noiseroom series). The fourth concert of the composer's tour will take place in the context of the Helikoosolek series, on May 1 in Tartu (Estonia). On this occasion João Castro Pinto will also make a presentation summing up his creative output. The concert finalizing his tour integrates the World Music Days 2019 in Tallinn. Obsidia – of the invisible sounds or of the audible images (2017) is the title of the acousmatic work, which the composer will spatialize in concert on May 5.

The new CD Chamber Music I by Hugo Vasco Reis, on which this com-poser published by the MIC.PT is also producer, was released in the second half of March. This work, supported by the DGArtes and the Antena 2, was recorded at the Music College of Lisbon, Casa da Música and Lisboa Incomum. It contains five pieces of his authorship: O horizonte de uma Borboleta (2015), Enigmatic Icon (2016), From Where the Wind Blows (2017), Transparent(e) (2017) and Rizoma (2018). In April, two pieces from the series Metamorphosis and Resonances by Hugo Vasco Reis will be presented in concert in the beginning and the end of the month – on April 6 & 7, the clarinetist Diogo Mendes will perform the piece ... for Bass Clarinet Solo (2017), respectively, at the Regional Conser-vatoire of Setúbal and at the University of Évora; and the piece ... for Cello Solo (2016) is included in the programme of the Antena 2 Recital at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, by the cellist Filipe Quaresma (April 30, with live radio broad-cast). This month Hugo Vasco Reis will also give two masterclasses – at the Conservatoire of Seia (April 27) & the Art Academy of Chaves (April 28) –, to present his reflections on the creation of his CD Chamber Music I.

The work for four hand piano by Paulo Bastos – sou já do que fui (2019) – is included in the pro-gramme of the concert by the Duo Jost Costa, which will take place on April 13 at the House of Portugal – André de Gouveia in Paris (Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris). The piece, whose unifying theme is the identity seen from an individual perspective and whose title comes from an eclogue by Luís de Camões, was premiered in March in Italy, by this Duo constituted by the pianist: Yseult Jost and Domingos Costa. In his musical production Paulo Bastos – composer published by the MIC.PT – focuses on chamber music and music for children, however his catalogue of works includes a significant number of orchestral pieces, for solo instruments and electronics.

Based on the excerpts of poetry by e. e. cummings, Courage... to follow the way (2013) for wind orchestra, mixed choir and four soloists (two sopranos, tenor and bass), is the work by Daniel Davis – composer published by the MIC.PT – which is included in the programme of the concerts, taking place on April 5 and 6 at the ESML – Music College of Lisbon. Courage...to follow the way was nominated in the Best Classical Music Work Category by the Portuguese Author's Society, having been premiered at the ESML in 2015. This month the work is performed again by the Wind Orchestra and the Sym-phonic Choir of the Music College of Lisbon, with Alberto Roque (orchestral direction) and Paulo Lourenço (choral direction).

Jaime Reis is one of the invited composers at the 5th edition of the Monaco Electroacoustique, a bien-nial festival organized by the Académie Rainier III, with the artistic direction by Mario Mary. It will take place between April 18 and 20 in Monte Carlo. In this context, the concert on April 19, at the Théâtre des Variétés, will include Jaime Reis's electroacoustic work Fluxus, pas trop haut dans le ciel (2017). Additionally, this composer published by the MIC.PT will be accompanied by seven young com-posers and performers from the Music College of Lisbon and the Applied Arts College of Castelo Branco. On April 20 at the Académie Rainier III they will present premieres of their new works composed for this occasion. Also in the second half of the month, between April 22 and 28, Jaime Reis will continue his residency at the ZKM – Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (Germany), in the context of which he's composing a new work for the Aleph Guitar Quartet.
In the beginning of the month, on April 8, the composer will participate in the conference The Music of the Instruments – Experiments and Innovation in Writing in the 20th Century, organized by the Department of Music of the University of Minho in Braga.

Between April 18 and 20 João Pedro Oliveira, together with Daniel Teruggi and Annette Vande Gorne, is guest of honour at the 5th edition of the Monaco Electroacoustique Festival. In this context, the programme of the event includes three audiovisual works by this composer published by the MIC.PT: Tesseract (2017), Petals (2016) and the premiere of Things I Have Seen in My Dreams (2019). In the end of the month, João Pedro Oliveira will also participate at the International Spring Music Festival of Viseu. On April, 24 to celebrate the composer's 60th anniversary, the Sigma Duo (Ana Cláudia Assis – piano; Miguel Rocha – cello) will perform a repertoire with three of his works: Mosaic (2010), Enigma (2018) and the premiere of Singularity (2019). Additionally, this month João Pedro Oliveira will give a composition masterclass at the Contemporary Music Bienal in Zagreb, and his music is included in the following events: 7th Contemporary Music Cycle of Lugo MIHLSons-XXI (April 2 and 11; Derivative I, Vox Sum Vitae); VivaMúsica in Belo Horizonte (April 9;
A Escada Estreita); and the 8th Dance Week in Lugo (April 26; Vox Sum Vitae).

The work Memorandum of understanding... (2014) for instrumental ensemble (flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello) by Nuno Figueiredo, is included in the concert programme of the Slovak tour by the Camerata Nov'Arte – the performances will take place between April 12 and 16 (Slovak State Radio, Bratislava; Synagogue in Levice; Zvolen). This repertoire, which will be conducted by Luís Carvalho, artistic director of the Camerata Nov'Arte, is entirely composed of works by Portuguese composers, also including: António Chagas Rosa, Fernando C. Lapa, Luís Carvalho and Sérgio Azevedo. Presently, Nuno Figueiredo resides in Slovakia, where he is professor of composition, chamber music and computer music. With the work Memorandum of under-standing... this composer published by the MIC.PT won the 1st GMCL / Jorge Peixinho International Composition Competition in 2014.

Canções do outro lado da rua (2017) for mandolin and guitar orchestra and In nomine – para um manifesto contra a vio-lência (1996) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, are the two works by Fernando C. Lapa, which will be performed during various concerts in April. The first work is included in the concerts of the Portuguese Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra con-ducted by Hélder Magalhães – on April 7 at the Valbom Drama School in Gondomar, and in the context of the Orchestra's tour in Europe, between April 12 and 15 (Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Germany and France). The second piece by this composer published by the MIC.PT makes part of the repertoire of the Camerata Nov'Arte, conducted by Luís Carvalho, in the framework of this Ensemble's tour in Slovakia, with concerts between April 12 and 16. The first one, with live radio broadcast, will take place in the Slovak National Radio.

On April 10 and 11 José Mesquita Lopes – composer published by the MIC.PT – will give a masterclass for musicians, dedicated to guitar performance techniques, in the context of the 2nd Masterclass organized at the Luís António Maldonado Rodrigues Music School in Torres Vedras. Awarded at various national and international, guitar and composition competitions, José Mesquita Lopes has in his catalogue works for solo instruments, chamber vocal and instrumental music, pieces for orchestra, concertos, music for children ballet and electroacoustic pieces. Many of them have been performed and recorded by renowned musi-cians. Presently, this composer and guitarist is teacher at the Arts Conservatoire of Orfeão de Leiria and at the D. Dinis Music Conservatoire in Odivelas.

On April 1 Ricardo Matosinhos – composer published by the MIC.PT – makes a presentation at the 4th Flautué – Trans-verse Flute Festival, on the eight works he has composed for flute. This set of pieces encompasses different forma-tions, from solo to chamber groups and large ensemble. Taking place between April 1 and 3 and organized by the Department of Music of the Art School at the University of Évora, the 4th Flautué – masterclasses, workshops, con-ferences and concerts – brings to Évora some of the most prestigious international musicians: Christian Studler, Monika Streitová, Istvan Matuz, Khatarine Rawdon and Francisco Barbosa. On April 3 Jean-Sébastien Béreau will conduct the Flautué Ensemble to perform a programme composed of works by Mozart and Ricardo Matosinhos.

The work Moment à l’extremement for cello and electronics by Miguel Azguime, is included in the programme of another Antena 2 Recital at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, this time with the participation of the cellist Filipe Quaresma. The work, commissioned by the Collectif éOle, was premiered in 2006 by Juliane Trémoulet (cello) and Miguel Azguime (electronics) at the Théâtre National de Toulouse, in the context of the Mira Festival. "The creation of this piece, like all my music" – says this composer published by the MIC.PT in the programme note – "is based on listening and spectral understanding of the sonic phenomenon, taking into account the acoustic properties of the musical instrument as the object of re-search, and leading to the abstract speculation on the compositional process".

…winterlich ruhende Erde… (2000) for solo cello is the piece by Luís Antunes Pena – composer published by the MIC.PT –, which will be performed by Thomas Piel on April 9 in Lugo (Spain), in the context of the 7th MIHLSons-XXI Contemporary Music Cycle, organized by the Vertixe Sonora Ensemble. The title of the piece is a quotation from the novel Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann. "Mann com-pares the apparent non-creation of the character and composer Adrian Leverkusen with the winter sleep of the earth, in which new life starts slowly to grow underneath, but becoming visible later, long after the process already started. This metaphor of the visible and invisible world, was an inspiring impulse to work on a kind of process that I would call organic" – reveals Luís Antunes Pena.

Your Trash (2016) for percussion, electronics and video is the piece by Igor C. Silva, which will be performed by the percus-sionist Noé Rodrigo on April 30 in Lugo (Spain), in the context of the 7th MIHLSons-XXI Contemporary Music Cycle, organized by the Verixe Sonora Ensemble. Another piece by this composer pub-lished by the MIC.PT – Frames #87 (2011) for clarinet, live electronics and video – is included in the programme of the recital by the clarinetist Diogo Mendes, during the 2nd Clarinet Meeting at the University of Évora.

Enrique X. Macías: Material – Rizoma is the title of the concert-conference dedicated to this composer published by the MIC.PT. It will take place on April 23 in the context of the 7th MIHLSons-XXI Contemporary Music Cycle in Lugo (Spain). This event includes the participation of Paco Yáñez (speaker) as well as of David Durán (piano) and Ángel Faraldo (electronics) – musicians form the Vertixe Sonora Ensemble, who will perform the work Cadencias e Interludios / Percurso I (1992) by Enrique X. Macías.

With the artistic direction of José Carlos Sousa – composer published by the MIC.PT – the International Spring Music Festival returns to the city of Viseu for its 12th edition, which will be taking place between April 5 and 27. The programme of the event encompasses an international piano competition, masterclasses and pedagogical concerts, as well as dozens of performances of music from the past and the present – many of them include in their programmes works by Portuguese composers: Ana de Ataíde Magalhães, Ana Seara, Armando José Fernandes, Christopher Bochmann, Clotilde Rosa, Isabel Soveral, João Pedro Oliveira, João Quinteiro, Jorge Peixinho, José Carlos Sousa, Luís Tinoco, Pedro Amaral and Rui Rodrigues, among many others. “Our aim is to bring to the city globally renowned musicians. The main pillars of our music feast are: formation, creation, raising musical awareness and pleasure” – emphasize the Festival’s organizers.

On March 30, the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon will host another recital in the framework of the cycle organized by the Miso Music Portugal in collaboration with the Antena 2. In this context, renowned Portuguese musicians have performed significant music works, together with the music by Portuguese contemporary composers. They've also presented acoustic instruments in combination with electronic, sonic transformations. This time the performer in focus is the cellist Filipe Quaresma, who will perform works by these two composers published by the MIC.PT – Metamorphosis and Resonances (2016) by Hugo Vasco Reis and Moment à l’extremement (2006) by Miguel Azguime. The programme of this concert, with live radio broadcast on the Antena 2, will also include works by the two Polish composers, Witold Lutosławski and Krzysztof Penderecki, as well as a piece by the American composer George Crumb.

Música em primeira mão (2) is the title of the con-certs by the GMCL – Lisbon Contemporary Music Group, conducted by Christopher Bochmann, which will be taking place on April 13 and 17, respectively, at the D. Dinis Music Conser-vatoire in Odivelas and at the Grão Vasco National Museum in Viseu, in the context of the International Spring Music Festival. The programme of these performances includes the premiere of the piece Sur l’Amour (trois poèmes sur l’amour) by Ana Seara (commission by the GMCL), and four works by the composers published by the MIC.PT: premiere of Otniribal by José Carlos Sousa (commission by the GMCL), Lalula by Christopher Bochmann (commission by the GMCL), Llanto por Mariana by Jorge Peixinho, Recondita Armonia II by Clotilde Rosa and Etude II – sur les colorations by Pedro Amaral (commission by the GMCL).

The registration for the Intensive Course of Electroacoustic Composition and Spatialization, taking place between July 22 and 26 at the O'culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, is open until June 30. It will be conducted by the three composers published by the MIC.PT: António Ferreira, António de Sousa Dias and Miguel Azguime. At this course the participants can benefit from the broad experience of the tutors, aesthetic pluralism and the logistics / technology available at the O'culto da Ajuda, with its Loudspeaker Orchestra composed of 40 elements. This instrument for sonic diffusion gives the course's students excellent conditions for musical and compositional practice. A max-imum number of 12 participants will be admitted for the course, which in its final will have a concert presenting the works developed by the students.

The Music Conservatoire of Coimbra (CMC), the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance (INET-md) and the University of Aveiro are the organizers of the ENCAPE 2019 – National Meeting on Composition and Musical Analysis: Educational Perspectives, taking place between June 26 and 27 in Coimbra. The main objective of this initiative, coordinated by the two composers published by the MIC.PT – Sara Carvalho and David Miguel –, is to reunite different interveners (teachers, researchers and other people interested) to debate, develop ideas and to disseminate research in music education within the areas of Composition and Musical Analysis. Additionally, the organizers aim at thematic transversality and at encouraging dialogue between the various areas of artistic education. In this sense, the organizers of the ENCAPE 2019 invite to submit presentations in Portuguese, above all integrated in the Meeting’s main themes. The deadline for submission of resumes is April 7. The preliminar programme of the ENCAPE 2019 is already available, and the event's keynotes are the two composers published by the MIC.PT: Christopher Bochmann and Daniel Moreira.

The 13th Síntese – Contemporary Music Cycle of Guarda will inaugurate on April 10 and 11 at the Regional Conservatoire in Castelo Branco, with workshops – Introduction to Contemporary Technique – oriented by Carlos Canhoto and Rogério Peixinho. Still this month, on April 29, the Municipal Theatre of Guarda will host the open rehearsals by the Síntese – Contemporary Music Group, organized fo the pupils at regular schools in the city of Guarda. The aim of the rehearsals is to bring them closer to contemporary music through direct contact with the construction of one of the works, whose premiere performance will take place on May 3, in the framework of the Síntese Cycle. The premiere woks have been written by the three composers published by the MIC.PT: Ângela Lopes (Dargua – de Poemas Helénicos), Hugo Vasco Reis (Some Lines Mixing a Color), Pedro Rebelo (Ambos); and also by Edward Luiz Ayres d'Abreu (Duas Mulheres).

Amílcar Vasques-Dias (AVDias0012)
Bailações sob a Olaia (2017) · alto saxophone

Ângela da Ponte (APon0003)
Divertimento for violin solo (2017) · violin

Ângela da Ponte (APon0004)
Divertimento for violoncello solo (2017) · cello

Miguel Azguime (MA0025)
De l'Étant qui le Nie (1998) · piano & electronics

Miguel Azguime (MA0028)
ConCordas (2015) · 13 solo strings

Miguel Azguime (MA0029)
Descriptions de la Matière (2015-16) · piano & electronics

Miguel Azguime (MA0035)
Trabalhos da Madeira (2016-18) · marimba & electronics

In March the MIC.PT has activated a new Performer's Page dedicated to Eliseu Silva, conductor, violinist, pedagogue and composer. Presently, the musician is teacher at the Silva Monteiro Music Course and Resident Conductor of the Bonjóia Youth Orchestra of Porto. As violinist, Eliseu Silva has given recitals and concerts as soloist and with chamber ensembles, having also performed with various Portuguese and Chinese orchestras led by renowned conductors from the world over: Anna Wirtsbuch, Colin Touchin, Julius Mickalsky, António Saiote and Cesário Costa, among others. He was also winner of various awards at national and international violin competitions, including: International Violin Competition of Malta, Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Competition, Young Musicians' Award – Antena 2, Júlio Cardona International Violin Competition, and International Performance Competition of Estoril. Eliseu Silva made various recordings for the Portuguese Radio – Antena 2, the Deutsche Grammophon and the Re-Munich Label. Presently, the violinist is finalizing his Doctoral project in Musicology – Performance and Interpretation at the University of Évora, in partnership with the University of Porto.

The registration for the Electroacoustic Composition Masterclasses in the framework of the Música Viva 2019 Festival (May 24 – June 1, O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon), are open until April 30. The first Masterclass, on May 25 and 26, will be conducted by the Canadian composer Gilles Gobeil, and the second one, where the tutor will be the English composer Trevor Wishart, will be taking place on May 27 and 28. Each of the Masterclasses will have a maximum number of 12 students. This is a unique opportunity to explore the secrets of Electroacoustic Composition with the global renowned titans of this genre.

The opera Canção do Bandido by Nuno Côrte-Real (music) and Pedro Mexia (libretto) has been awarded with the Author's Prize 2019 by the SPA – Portuguese Author's Society, in the category Best Classical Music Work. The other nominees in the same category were: Hugo Vasco Reis (composer published by the MIC.PT) for the discographic work O Espaço da Sombra and António Pinho Vargas (composer published by the MIC.PT) for the work Memorial. Canção do Bandido was premiered on November 8 last year at the Trindade Theatre in Lisbon. It is a comic opera inspired in the traditional story Macaco de Rabo Cortado, which imagines a character that is not a monkey ("macaco" in Portuguese), but rather a lawyer – a Casanova of the contempo-rary times...