The Third International Conference within the framework of the project “Christian Orthodox Chant in Portugal” was planned in the summer of 2024. But the plans were interrupted by Ivan Moody‘s passing. The project was led by him and Svetlana Poliakova.

On the new date, July 18, the focus of the conference will be the memory of one of the most significant and emblematic figures in 21st-century Portuguese music. Besides his compositional activity, Moody was a conductor, a musicologist, and a critic. The conference reports will be the first contribution to the study of his music, his musicological works, and his performing activities. His artistic explorations were at the intersection of music, visual arts, history, philosophy, theology, and aesthetics.

Ivan Moody’s creative activities have been associated with CESEM since 2003. He was a member of the CESEM board and the coordinator of the Contemporary Music Group. But his interests bridged seemingly contrasting areas – modernism and the medieval era, Western and Eastern cultures. During the last few years, his activity has centred on the music and spirituality of the Christian East. This interest materialized in the project “Christian Orthodox Chant in Portugal”, dedicated to creating an overview of the expressions of Orthodox chant in Portugal.

Ivan Moody (1964-2024) was also the co-editor of the Portuguese Journal of Musicology.

This tribute has three organisers: Svetlana Poliakova, CESEM, Taissa Marchese, CESEM, and Luís Cunha, Zêzere Arts. The conference moderated by Svetlana Poliakova will be broadcast on the Zêzere Arts Festival Facebook page.

To find out more about the conference, its speakers, and the concerts dedicated to Moody’s work, click on this link.