18^th Edition!

Portugal is facing a profound crisis: both economical and philosophical!
The art of Portuguese music is experiencing what is probably its most remarkable golden age, superior to the age of polyphony!

Contradicting the disinvestment in art and culture practiced by the Portuguese government, contemporary composers and performers affirm a richness and vitality, without precedent, to which the Musica Viva Festival gives voice, being a privileged vehicle for communication of music created here and now, of music reinventing itself day by day.

An unique space for circulation, and meeting of ideas and aesthetics, the programme of the 18^th edition of the Musica Viva Festival, which will be taking place in Lisbon at two different venues and timelines – September 18^th to 23^rd at the Belém Art Centre and from October 6^th to 10^th and the Goethe-Institut in Lisbon – will be devoted, in its essence, to new Portuguese creation, with the focus, once again, on the relations of music with technology.

Counting with the excellence and complicity of an eminent variety of artists and participants, without the generosity of whom it wouldn't be possible to realize this year this event, the Festival’s programme will include 7 concerts and an "excessive" sound installation, presenting 55 works, among which 35 are by Portuguese composers and with 12 premiere performances. The highlight will be given to the music of Constança Capdeville (for her 75^th anniversary and 20 years after her passing) and to the music of Álvaro Salazar.

Detailed programme of the Música Viva 2012 Festival

Música Viva Festival on Facebook

On June 1 at 7:00 p.m., on the ocasion of the International Children's Day, the Antena 2 will broadcast the children's opera by Miguel Azguime, "The Little Water Drop Girl" ("A Menina Gotinha de Água") - a recording of the opera's world premiere, which took place in December last year at the São Jorge Cinema in Lisbon, performed by the Lisbon University Children's Choir conducted by Erica Mandillo.

In the context of this transmission and the concert of the Sond'Ar-te Electric Ensemble (also on June 1 at 9:30 p.m. at the Cascais Cultural Centre), Miguel Azguime and António Chagas Rosa, whose world premiere of "Música de cena para Santo Antão" will be presented by the Sond'Ar-te, will give an interview for the Antena 2 on the same day at 9:00 a.m.

Visit the website of Antena 2

Sound Walk 2012 - extended deadline - June 30

Between October 6 and 10, the 5^th edition of the Sound Walk, collective and original sound installation, will give the visitors of the Goethe Institut Garden an oppotunity to immerse in 25 sounscapes, this year joined by the "sound-text composition" theme.

13^th Electroacoustic Composition Competition Música Viva 2012 - extended deadline - September 15

The Música Viva 2012 Electroacoustic Composition Competition, which year by year has affirmed its increasingly important presence in the international circuit of electroacoustic music, is open to composers of every age and nationality.

Antena 2 | Every Second Saturday at 1 a.m.

Programmes in May:

May 12 – Interview with Joana Sá

On May 12, as always at 1 a.m., Miguel Azguime will talk with Joana Sá, pianist, improviser and composer, who develops various original music projects - an emergent personality in the Portuguese music panorama, who gives special atention to the relations between music and technology, within solo projects, such as her more recent work "through this looking glass", as well as in the context of the POWERTRIO formation.


May 26 – "Der Klang des Südens" ("Sound of South") - Part 1: Barcelona

"Der Klang des Südens" ("Sound of South")
3 Radiophonic Pieces
Part 1 - Barcelona | music by Ariadna Alsina, text by Judith Kuckert

"Sound of South" is a journey to the cicties of Genoa, Barcelona and Lisbon through Sounds, Words and Music. This project, developed by the Goethe Institut in Lisbon, is a result of an encounter of one or more composers from the three cities, to create a sound diary from the captured sounds, voices, noise and music. In Lisbon Miguel Azguime created a sound diary, upon which Juli Zeh elaborated a literary fiction, in Genoa the composers Giacomo Lepri, Irene Pacini, Michele Pizzi and Luca Serra worked with the text by Nora Gomringer, and in Barcelona the composer Ariadna Alsina, was inspired by the text of Judith Kuckert. The first piece dedicated to Barcelona will be presented during this edition of Arte Eletroacústica.

During the second part of the programme, in the context of the UNESCO International Arts Education Week (21-27 May 2012), the Arte Eletroacústica will present one "Sound-Told Fairy Tale" from the Miso Music Portugal's Electroacoustic Theatre for Children - "A Nova Música do Rei" ("The Emperor's New Music") with music by António Ferreira and story by Ágata Mandillo (based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen, "The Emperor's New Clothes").

More information on Arte Eletroacústica

Antena 2

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In total 24 proposals were received from composers coming from 14 different European countries. The jury, consisting of Miguel Azguime, Helmut Erdmann and Henk Heuvelmans (and for the category Double bass / electric bass also John Eckhardt) has studied all proposals and has selected the following projects for performance during the ISCM World New Music Days 2012 in Belgium:

Roberto David Rusconi (1972, U.K.) - "Elegie for double bass and live electronics"
Alexander Schubert (1979, Germany) - "Bifurcation Fury" for electric bass guitar, live electronics and live-video
Ilya Ziblat (1985, Israel/Netherlands) - new work for double bass and live electronics
Jasna Velickovic (1974, Serbia/Netherlands) - new work for zither and live electronics
Marco Donnarumma (1984, Italy/U.K.) - new work for Xth Sense

After the performance on 3 November in De Singel in Antwerp the winning work in this competition will be announced by the jury.

More info

The electroacuostic  piece "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" (2009) by António Ferreira was selected to be part of the World New Music Days 2012 Festival, which will be taking place in Belgium (Brussels, Leuven, Mons, Ghent, Bruges and Atwerp) between  October 25th and November 4th. Since 2000 the Portuguese official applications for the World New Music Days have been prepared and submitted by the Miso Music Portugal.

For more information visit World New Music Days 2012.