16th Free Course in Music History
2025 brings another year rich with diverse and fascinating themes from the history of music. In January, the spotlight turns to an instrument we all know, The Piano: An Ancient History. This module explores the piano’s evolution through the centuries, from its earliest forms to the modern instrument with 88 keys and 230 strings. We’ll dive into the stories of the great composers and performers who shaped both the piano and its vast repertoire.
The second module, Women in Music, highlights the journeys of influential figures—composers, performers, producers, and educators—who have left a lasting impact on music history.
Tchaikovsky: A Creator of Melodies follows, offering a tribute to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The life and works of this globally celebrated composer, whose melodies resound in ballets, concertos, and operas, will be at the heart of this exploration. His music will also feature prominently throughout the season at Casa da Música.
In September, two fundamental elements of music take center stage: Timbre and Rhythm. This module delves into the subtleties of these components, analyzing how they shape the flow of melody, weaving rhythmic patterns that serve as both the foundation and the spice of musical composition.
Closing the year, Sounds that Transcend Borders: The Porosity of Genres and Styles explores the connections between classical music and other genres, examining how these styles influence and inspire one another.
PRICES:
Session: € 15
Module: € 37
Course in Full: € 115
More information: [email protected]
Education Service Patron
Institutional Support
Modules
13, 20 and 27 january
We look at how the construction and sound of the instrument have changed over the centuries and how these changes have affected the way we play and compose. How we got from the medieval Dulcimer to today’s piano with its 88 keys and 230 strings and who were the composers who most evolved this instrument. An ancient history to explore the evolution of one of today’s most popular instruments.
Trainer
Nuno Caçote
Prices
Module (3 Sessions) € 37
Session € 15
17 + 24 february and 03 march
Who were the great women in the history of music? From the fight against prejudice, late recognition, historic moments, innovative works, the creation of new spaces and bets on experimentation, discover the trajectory and work of the most important female figures in the history of music.
Trainer
Helena Lopes Braga
Prices
Module (3 Sessions) € 37
Session € 15
24 + 31 march and 07 april
The life and work of one of the composers whose melodies are known the world over. Present in his ballets, concerts and operas, the works that can be heard throughout the season at Casa da Música will not be forgotten.
Trainer
Pedro Neves
Prices
Module (3 Sessions) € 37
Session € 15
15, 22 and 29 september
The language of percussion is prehistoric and, shared across the globe, defines rhythm in music, with timbres ranging from the whisper of maracas to the thunder of drums. These sounds mould the flow of the melody, creating a rhythmic tapestry that is both the foundation and the spice of any musical composition.
Trainer
Daniel Moreira
Prices
Module (3 Sessions) € 37
Session € 15
27 october and 03 + 10 november
From the traditional Austrian songs that Haydn included in his works to the recreation of orchestral pieces by symphonic rock groups, the sounds transcend barriers of genres and styles. Popular music associated with marginalised contexts was transformed and integrated into the bourgeois sociability of 19th-century concert halls. This module explores the intersections, overlaps and migrations of music as it crosses the porous membranes that divide different contexts. Addressing the interactions between traditional, classical and popular music, it seeks to explore the boundaries between them. The transformations of the canons of these musics have marked our modernity. By focusing on sound elements that are reconfigured as they cross geographical, social and stylistic boundaries, this module is a journey through the appropriation and transformation of musics in transit.
Trainer
João Silva
Prices
Module (3 Sessions) € 37
Session € 15
