International Music Festival of Portel

Every year the International Music Festival of Portel turns this village, one of the most beautiful and traditional places of the Portuguese Alentejo region, into a capital of classical music, and an extraordinary combination of artistic and musical opportunities for young musicians and conductors from all over the world. This two-weeks festival offers a diverse program, consisting of symphonic and chamber music concerts, artistic residencies, masterclasses and workshops.

The International Music Festival of Portel assumes cultural decentralization, the calling for audience awareness on erudite music, the engagement and inclusion of the local community and the support to emerging artists as its structuring programmatic orientations.

The festival’s opening concert is performed by “Orquestra da Costa Atlântica” an emerging orchestra that has gained recognition in the Portuguese music scene. “Orquestra da Costa Atlântica” is formed by young professional musicians and has Luis Miguel Clemente as principal conductor. In this concert, the orchestra performs works of Dvorak, Francisco Lacerda, Mussorgsky and Glazunov.

The festival houses the artistic residence of two orchestras: “Jovem Orquestra da Costa Atlântica” and “Orquestra Nacional de Sopros”. The creation of these two orchestras within the scope of the festival aims to support and contribute to the musical training of young musicians and emerging artists, providing them with an opportunity for artistic development in an orchestral context. Each of the orchestras consists of about 65 musicians, Portuguese and foreign, aged between 13 and 26. The orchestras perform in concerts in different counties of Alto Alentejo, namely in Alandroal, Redondo and Portel. In the orchestras’ program, works of different styles and sonorities composed by Borodin, Freitas Branco, Holst, Dvorak, Appermont, Reed and Ferran are performed, which strengthens and attracts different audiences.

Within the artistic residences of these two orchestras, masterclasses of wind, strings and percussion instruments are also promoted for all the musicians that integrate them. Masterclasses are guided by an artistic team with vast experience and recognition both as educators and artists.

The festival program is also composed of a series of chamber music concerts, called "Música no Património” (“Music in the Heritage”). This cycle opens with the guest group "Quinteto", a portuguese project that mainly performs the repertoire of the XIX and XX centuries, adding to the festival program diverse stylistic and contemporary musical languages. This cycle of chamber music concerts also includes four chamber ensembles constituted by young musicians enrolled in the festival. These groups perform in churches of different parishes of the municipality of Portel, thus enhancing access to culture and a relationship of greater involvement and proximity to the local population, while contributing to the valorization of local religious and architectural heritage.

As part of the educational programs designed for audience involvement, chamber music concerts are also held in Portel's private social solidarity institutions, especially designed for children and senior population.

The festival implements another professional training component, directed to music students and young conductors, offering masterclasses of orchestral conducting, which are guided by well-known conductors.

In order to enhance the material and immaterial heritage of Portel and to promote community engagement in the activities of the festival, workshops named “Percurso dos Sentidos” (“Pathways of the Senses”) are held, being open to the public in general. These workshops are promoted by members of the local community and aim to provide the public with unique sensory and taste experiences, with the best gastronomic products of the region, and to disseminate the local heritage.

Rehearsals of resident orchestras are open to the public in general and with free access. All the concerts and workshops that constitute the festival’s program are admission free.

The International Music Festival of Portel is organized by the Orquestra da Costa Atlântica – non-profit music and culture association in partnership with the Portel Municipality. The executive director is Ana Carolina Capitão and the artistic and music director is Luis Miguel Clemente.