The ‘beloved month of August’ is upon us, and it’s one of the Portuguese people’s favorite times to enjoy a well-deserved vacation. However, for those staying in Invicta, there is no shortage of activities and initiatives to liven up the cultural agenda, including open-air cinema and the return of Porto Pianofest.
The 10th edition promises to be the biggest ever, with several premieres and 25 events spread across 13 venues over two weeks (from August 1 to 12). The initiative will cover emblematic sites such as the Palácio da Bolsa, Casa da Música and, for the first time, the Serralves Museum and Porto City Hall, among others.
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Brief retrospective
Porto Pianofest started in 2016 and since then it has gone through 10 editions and a total of 112 concerts, several masterclasses and conferences, but always with the same mission: to bring classical music closer to the general public.
Celebrating 10 editions of Porto Pianofest is much more than marking a date, it’s reaffirming a commitment to the city, the artists and the public. (…) [The festival has grown while remaining true to its essence as] promoting spaces for meeting and sharing. Also the pedagogical component and the focus on decentralization, bringing music to new audiences,” says Nuno Marques, the Portuguese pianist who created and takes the ‘helm’ of Porto Pianofest, quoted in a statement sent to the Porto Secreto team.
Highlights of Porto Pianofest
The program is vast, so you can check it out in full here. Even so, we’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some crucial moments, such as:
- August 1, opening concert “Brexit Music – A jazz tribute to British legends”, at Casa da Música, by Trio Baptiste Trotignon
- August 2, concert by Artur Pizarro, at Porto Town Hall
- August 3, concert by José Ramon Mendez (Spanish pianist), in the Salão Nobre of the Rectory of the University of Porto
- August 4, performance by Jean Saulnier, on the same stage as above
- August 10, concert by Anthony DeMare, in the Auditorium of the Serralves Museum
- August 12, closing concert with pianist Alexandre Kobrin, in the Arab Hall of the Palácio da Bolsa, among others.
Free concerts
In addition to the paid program, the initiative also includes free concerts, particularly at lunchtime, by young talents:
- August 6, at the Casa Comum of the Rectory of the University of Porto
- August 7 and 8, at the Romantic Museum of Porto
Porto Pianofest: families and marathon
It should also be noted that children also have a place in this musical initiative with the annual family concert, taking place at the Casa Comum of the University of Porto on August 9.
Also worthy of special mention is the Piano Marathon at the Bolhão Market on July 30, which serves as a warm-up for the 10th edition of Porto PianoFest.
Echoes of classical music outside Porto
The sweet melodies of the piano will echo outside the city limits of Porto, being heard at the Vila do Conde Conservatory on August 4 (with Alexandre Thomas).
On August 11, the Porto PianoFest returns to the Cupertino Miranda Foundation in Vila Nova de Famalicão.
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