Comments by Sara Maia (CTC) in the ‘Celebratorium’ concert series

Sara Maia, a collaborator in the Research Group for the Study of Music, Critical Theory and Communication, will present the concerts in the ‘Celebratorium’ cycle. The 2024 edition is a tribute to three great Portuguese composers of the 20th century: Joly Braga Santos, Frederico de Freitas and Fernando Lopes-Graça.

In the last ‘Celebratorium’ of 2024, the group will celebrate the birthday of Fernando Lopes-Graça, who was born on December 17, 1906, in Tomar. The celebration will occur on December 17, at 9.30 pm, at the Gil Vicente Cultural Centre in Sardoal. In addition to being a composer, Lopes-Graça also distinguished himself as a pianist, pedagogue, critic, and artist of resistance to the Salazar regime.

Inspired by Portuguese folk music, Lopes-Graça collected and recreated traditional melodies, giving them new aspects and dimensions. In this programme, it will be possible to hear two of these new creations: Três canções populares portuguesas, a piece of chamber music for piano and cello, and Primeira Cantata de Natal, an a cappella choral work. The pieces will be performed by the Ensemble Vocal Notas Soltas and the soloists of the Orquestra Clássica da Maia.