Ângela da Ponte is one of the composers in focus at the Prolífica Festival, an initiative by the Azores Female Composers Community and the Arquipélago – Contemporary Arts Centre (São Miguel Island). The sound installation by this composer published by the MIC.PT, Magnetic Fields (commission by the Prolífica Festival and the Arquipélago Centre), will inaugurate at the festival’s first session on February 23. Regarding Magnetic Fields, Ângela da Ponte says: “I grew up on the São Miguel Island, and I have always been fascinated with the ‘nature’ element since we, humans, strongly depend on it. Living with extreme-magnitude forces, such as vulcanos, adds meaning to our lives and a notion of fragility. The installation concept originates in the interaction between fragility and force. Magnetic Fields is born from the terrestrial-magnetism natural phenomenon, contemplating its dynamism as landscape modifier”. Additionally, Ângela da Ponte’s orchestral piece La mer soulevée (2011) will have its performance on February 3 at the Casa da Música by the Porto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tito Ceccherini.

The premiere of the complete version of the work Va(le)riation 3 (2023) for tenor saxophone and electronics by António de Sousa Dias (a composer published by the MIC.PT) will occur on February 27 at the O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. This piece – commissioned by the DME Project, developed in September last year in the context of the artistic residency at the Lisboa Incomum with the participation of António de Sousa Dias and Philippe Trovão – is part of the recital by this saxophonist marking the release of his new CD, Sur la Couleur. This album is a proposal to pay tribute to the legacy of Jean-Claude Risset (1938–2016) through the recording of seven works which the French composer wrote for saxophone and electronics. Philippe Trovão says: “Jean-Claude Risset was one of the great 20th and 21st century composers, whose profound interest in the timbre made him explore new sonic possibilities enabled by the use of computer. Risset left an impressive legacy regarding works approaching new forms of thinking and using sound and research in connection with various institutions, such as the IRCAM in Paris.”

Ámen para uma Ausência (1986) for solo double bass by Constança Capdeville (a composer published by the MIC.PT) as well as Akinesis (2001) for voice, viola and electronics and Observing Time (2023) for voice, snare drum and electronics by Carlos Alberto Augusto (a composer published by the MIC.PT) – are there works that are part of the concert Árvore Metálica e Outras Histórias, which will occur on February 24 at the Marvila Library in Lisbon. The programme of this concert integrated into the Criasons IV Festival – an initiative by the Musicamera Produções – also includes Paulo Brandão’s work Árvore Metálica (1986) for brass sextet. The musicians responsible for the performance of the works at this concert, with stage and music direction by Carlos Alberto Augusto and Paulo Brandão, are Jorge Alves (viola), Pedro Wallenstein (double bass), and the brass sextet, under the baton of João Paulo Fernandes, with Adriano Franco and Daniel Tapadinhas (trumpets), Sebastião Pereira (horn), Renato Serra and Alexandre Vilela (trombones) and Filipe Carvalho (tuba).

The works by Hugo Vasco Reis and João Quinteiro (composers published by the MIC.PT) – respectively, Communication 16.7 Hertz and Canção III – Pairs: à propos de l’intériorité, both from 2024 – will have their first performances by the Nada Contra duo on February 3 at the O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. The Nada Contra duo joins the percussionist Francisco Cipriano, the pianist Mrika Sefa and various contemporary composers. Its first premise is the search for the sonic potential of a keyboard (piano, synthesiser, etc.) and percussion. The musicians emphasise: “Nada Contra (Nothing Against) doesn’t search for an image or to be part of an identity, but to inspire the creation and, perhaps, innovation of the repertoire for this duo. At our premiere concert at the O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, we present the result of artistic collaborations with composers, establishing practically all we have declared in our biographical note.” All the compositions in the concert programme, including the music of Valerio Sannicandro and Michael Maria Ziffels, constitute commissions of the Nada Contra duo.

In 2019, Igor C. Silva (a composer published by the MIC.PT) created the new soundtrack for the film O Taxi 9297 by Reinaldo Ferreira, shown for the first time at the Batalha Cinema in Porto in 1927. The premiere of Igor C. Silva’s music creation (commission: Casa da Músiuca and Philharmonie du Luxembourg) occurred in 2020, and it will have its new performance, with Reinaldo Ferreira’s film, on February 20 at the Casa da Música in Porto, by the Remix Ensemble under the baton of Pedro Neves. The starting point for the plot of O Taxi 9297, a classic of Portuguese silent cinema, is a crime in a taxi, eventually uncovered by Reporter X, Reinaldo Ferreira’s alter ego. In August 2015, when the MIC.PT interviewed Igor C. Silva, the composer said: ‘When composing I begin with extramusical ideas, creating elements that are in a certain way related to the initially idealised subject or environment. I recreate these elements electronically, and the electronic element almost always emerges in the phase before the instrumental writing’. At the Casa da Música concert, the Digitópia will be responsible for realising the electronics.

The Opera ∏ is a new creation by João Pedro Oliveira (a composer published by the MIC.PT). It will have its first performances on February 9 and 11 at the O’culto da Ajuda in Lisbon. These concerts, integrated into the Criasons IV Festival (Musicamera Producões) and staged by Élio Correia, will include the performances by Patrícia Silveira (soprano), Luís Rendas Pereira (baritone), the Contracello Duo (Miguel Rocha, cello; Adriano Aguiar, double bass) and Brian MacKay’s music direction. With Miguel Mesquita da Cunha’s and João Pedro Oliveira’s libretto, Opera ∏ occurs in a Paris cafe where, as the programme notes reveal, ‘two characters dialogue about the fundaments of artistic creation. One represents rationality, objectivity, and plan, while the other is pure intuition and the spontaneity of the creation moment. They present arguments, doubts, and suggestions. Will they reach a consensus? Who will prevail? The performance occurs in a cafe where audience members are also present. These involuntary participants follow the action ‘on the spot’ and can be invited to some kind of interaction.’

The works, Branca rosa brava (2023) by Paulo Bastos and Quatro canções de luz e de sombra (2023) by Sofia Sousa Rocha (both composers published by the MIC.PT), are part of the concert programme by the Síntese – Contemporary Music Group, under the baton of Diogo Costa, which will occur on February 2 at the Auditorium of the Dr. Manuel Fernandes School in Abrantes. On the same day the Síntese musicians will also give a Contemporary Music Workshop at the School’s Library. The programme of the concert, presenting four works inspired in the poetry of Eugénio de Andrade and marking the poet’s 100th anniversary, also includes two other compositions: Carlos Guedes’ Livro de bolso and João Pedro Delgado’s Itinerário das amoras bravas, both composed in 2023.

The Portuguese Music Education Journal has published the article, Com Música no Bolso: como os dispositivos móveis podem potenciar a aprendizagem musical (With Music in the Pocket: how mobile devices can potentiate the music learning) by Ricardo Matosinhos (a composer published by the MIC.PT). The author emphasises: “The article approaches how musicians, composers, performers and teachers have used computers, how these devices have been reducing in size and expanding potential. Although the students are inherently proficient in using digital technology, they do not always manage to fully explore the potential of mobile devices to improve their music education. Thus, the music teachers of the 21st century must undertake a digital curation, dominating the diverse available technological means.”

The Miso Music Portugal/ MIC.PT, as the Portuguese Section of the ISCM – International Society for Contemporary Music, announces the opening, on February 15, of the Call for Works for the ISCM World New Music Days 2025 festival, which will occur for the first time in Portugal between May 30 and June 7, next year. The Call involves some of the most renowned and talented musicians in Portugal, comprising 14 categories, which range between music for orchestra, string ensemble and percussion group, works for ensembles of different sets and dimensions, pieces for string quartet, trio, duos and solo instruments (all of them with or without electronics), as well as compositions for youth choir, electroacoustic music, and audiovisual installations. In this Call, one must highlight the 12th Category, Solo Portuguese Guitar (with or without electronics), which aims to encourage and stimulate the creation of new contemporary music works for this unique and virtuoso instrument, constituting an essential element of Portuguese tradition, culture and identity. The Call for the ISCM World New Music Days 2025 will be open until April 25, and there are two ways to submit works for consideration: 1) Official Submissions, realised through the ISCM Sections and Members who issue their calls and invitations; 2) Individual Submissions, made independently by the composers or their authorised representatives.

The Miso Music Portugal and the Portuguese Music Research and Information Centre, as the Portuguese Section of the ISCM – International Society for Contemporary Music, are proud to announce the two works chosen for the World New Music Days 2024 in the context of the official application, including works by six Portuguese composers. The selected compositions are: was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht? (2019) for a string ensemble by Carlos Brito Dias and Clusia Rosea (2018) for a string quartet by Filipe Lopes. Every year, the ISCM World New Music Days is organised in a different country to celebrate contemporary music creation. In 2024, the festival hosted by the Association of Faroese Composers will occur between June 22 and 30 on the Faroe Islands.

A New Composer’s Page, dedicated to Ana Roque Antunes, is available on the MIC.PT since February. Ana Roque Antunes is also a bass player and a music teacher. She studied Composition and Music Teaching at the Lisbon College of Music and Film Scoring at the National Academy of Advanced Orchestral Studies. She is mainly interested in visual and performing arts but also social action, and her artistic production exposes the complementarity of these areas. Her work has been recognised and presented in Portugal by performers such as the Contracello Duo or the Euterpe Guitar Duo and at various national events and concert halls, such as the Música Viva Festival, O’culto da Ajuda, Lisboa Incomum or Casa da Música. Among her most recent awards, the Incentive to Creation Award (São Carlos National Theatre) for the orchestral piece Magma stands out.

Since February, the MIC.PT has a New Composer’s page dedicated to Luís Salgueiro, who stands out for the diversity of his musical production, which ranges from electronic and mixed music to instrumental compositions. His works’ catalogue includes solo pieces and compositions for instrumental groups of different sizes. Luís Salgueiro’s works have been performed at various recognised venues in Portugal, reaching also international audiences in Germany and the United States. In addition to his activity as a composer, Luís Salgueiro is also part of the MPMP Património Musical Vivo direction board, and he develops relevant work in the domains of music edition and recording. In this sense, he has collaborated with renowned publishing houses such as Peters, Casa Ricordi and Durand – Salabert – Eschig, consolidating his presence in the production and dissemination of contemporary music.

With the aim to encourage the creation and diffusion of new acousmatic/ electroacoustic works, Miso Music Portugal promotes and organises the 25th edition of the International Electroacoustic Composition Competition – Música Viva 2024. The deadline for the works’ submission is March 31, 2024. The winning work will be announced during the Música Viva 2024 Festival, occurring between May 3 and 11. The jury of the 25th International Electroacoustic Composition Competition – Música Viva 2024 comprises: Panayiotis Kokoras, Robert Normandeau and Miguel Azguime.

The submissions for the 1st International Lied Composition Competition (Álvaro García de Zúñiga/ Casa de Mateus/ Sond’Ar-te) are open until March 21, 2024. The competition is an initiative by the Sond’Ar-te Electric Ensemble in partnership with the Casa de Mateus Foundation and the blablaLab Cultural Association. The competition is open to composers of any nationality, without age limits. The submitted compositions must be written for a duo, within a combination selected between soprano and the following instruments (with or without electronics): flute, clarinet, violin, cello or piano. The selection of the texts must encompass Álvaro García de Zúñiga’s work. The members of the competition jury are Iris Ter Schiphorst (composer; Germany), Philippe Leroux (composer; France) and Miguel Azguime (composer; Portugal).

The submissions for the 13th edition of the Composition Prize promoted by the Portuguese Author’s Society and Antena 2 are open until July 1, 2024. The Prize promotes and encourages contemporary music creation and disseminates young composers’ work. It’s destined for Portuguese composers, or the ones residing in Portugal for over four years, born on and after January 1, 1989. The submitted works should be for orchestra without soloist(s) and electronics. The premiere of the 1st-award-winning work will occur in the framework of the 14th Young Musicians’ Festival in Lisbon (September 2024).

The applications for the 7th edition of the Accordion Composition Prize, an initiative by the Folefest Association, are open until July 5. This competition aims to promote and encourage contemporary classical music creation for accordion, contributing to this repertoire’s qualitative and quantitative development. The Prize’s dedicatees are Portuguese composers, or those residing in Portugal, of any age. The application works (chamber music: accordion + 3-6 instruments) must be unedited. The Prize’s organisers reserve the right to realise the premieres of the awarded works. The Prize’s jury comprises Isabel Soveral (composer), Sérgio Azevedo (composer) and Paulo Jorge Ferreira (accordionist/ composer and jury president).

The Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre team joins the mourning and sadness after the premature death of Ivan Moody, a composer, researcher and direction member at the CESEM – Centre for Studies in Music Aesthetics and Sociology at the NOVA University in Lisbon. Born in the United Kingdom, Ivan Moody settled in Portugal several decades ago, having developed an intense career as a composer and musicologist. In this context, in 2004-2005, he worked with the Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre. With a PhD from the University of York, Ivan Moody studied Composition with Brian Dennis, Sir John Tavener and William Brooks. As a musicologist, he published texts about music on the Iberian Peninsula, Russia, and the Balkans, contemporary sacred music, and music and theology.

Since the begining of this month a new In the 1st Person Interview (in Portuguese), with the composer Paulo Bastos, recorded on December 3 2022, is available on the MIC.PT YouTube Channel.
Presently the MIC.PT YouTube Channel contains 28 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.