Coro Infantil Casa da Música

Coro Infantil Casa da Música is one of the resident groupings of the institution, and made its public debut in 2017 during one of the major concerts of that season, on World Music Day. In the Suggia Hall, it joined forces with Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, Coro Nacional de España and Coro Lira to perform Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. Since its debut, the Choir has participated in the 2018 Christmas concert, singing Bach’s h-Moll-Messe with Orquestra Barroca and Coro Casa da Música, as well as in a 2019 Easter concert, singing Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with Orquestra Sinfónica and Coro Casa da Música. In January 2020, it returned to the main stage of Casa da Música to perform Berlioz’s Te Deum, alongside Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and Coro Nacional de España. It regularly performs on its own in the Suggia Hall.

Coro Infantil Casa da Música consists of about 50 children and is the result of a dynamic initiated in the 2016/2017 academic year which is ongoing. In collaboration with the primary schools of Quatro Caminhos (Matosinhos), Lomba (Porto), and Quinta das Chãs (Vila Nova de Gaia), a choral training process was developed which involved approximately 350 children, engaging educators, and families, and which motivated neighbouring communities.

This experience led to three choral groups, one for each school, from which the voices of the Coro Infantil have emerged. Thus, there are four structures within an extended geographical area, led by the Educational Services Department. Exploration of choral repertoires, collective composition, and encouragement of curricular success form the foundations of this project.

Raquel Couto was born in Porto in 1988. She began her studies in the field of choral music at an early age at the Curso de Música Silva Monteiro. She graduated in Choral Conducting under the guidance of the conductor Paulo Lourenço at the Lisbon School of Music. With the aim of deepening her knowledge of children and youth choir pedagogy, she participated in courses and training sessions with conductors such as Stephen Coker, Eugene Rogers, Paul Caldwell, and Brett Scott (USA); Werner Pfaff (Germany); Paul McCreesh, Greg Beardsell, and Rachel Joy Staunton (England); Elisenda Carrasco, Esteve Nabona, and Basilio Astulez Duque (Spain); Patrícia Costa (Brazil); and Maria Guinand (Venezuela). In 2012, she attended the “Write an Opera” course at the Royal Opera House in London.

Raquel has taught children and youth choir courses at academies and conservatories such as the Musical Foundation for Friends of Children (Fundação Musical dos Amigos das Crianças – Lisbon) and the Vila Real Conservatory. She teaches at the Espinho Academy and Espinho Professional Music School, where she conducts Crescendo Choir and Ensemble Vocal do Secundário. She provides vocal coaching for various theatre groups and schools, including the Balleteatro professional school.

She is one of the founding members of the a cappella vocal group PopUp – Vozes Portáteis and was the founder and conductor of SHINE Coro Gospel (Lisbon).

Raquel is the main conductor of Coro Infantil Casa da Música and has participated in other projects carried out in this institution — she was an assistant conductor in the performance of Charles Ives’s Symphony No. 4 and Mahler’s Das klagende Lied by Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música. She has also provided commentary and narration in concerts by this orchestra, notably in performances of Prokofiev’s Cinderella and Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye.

She is a member of the training group at the Casa da Música Educational Services.

Raquel is the founder and artistic director of Coro Lira (Children, Youth, and Adults), a group that has performed in various venues in Porto and premiered ten works by Portuguese composers in the show “Coisas Que Não Há Que Há” (Teatro Nacional São João), directed by Catarina Lacerda (Teatro do Frio).

Adriana Moreno

Afonso Guimarães

Alice Caldeira

Ana Bernardo

Ana Rita Brenhas

António Fontelonga

Beatriz Pinto

Carolina da Silva Moreira

Carolina Guedes

Carolina Oliveira

Carolina Rocha

Carolina Rodrigues Moreira

David Ferreira

Dinis Duarte

Dinis Moreira

Elana Mendes

Erica Azevedo

Ester Duarte

Francisca Soares

Gabriel Silva

Joana Sousa

João Pedro Coelho

Kaila Morais

Lara Loureiro

Leandro Vieira

Leonor Costa

Leonor Oliveira

Leonor Silva

Letícia Altoé

Mafalda Couto

Margarida Teixeira

Maria Clara Silva

Maria Eduarda Pimentel

Maria Emília Costa

Maria Francisca Brito

Maria Miguel Ribeiro

Maria Rita Andrade

Matilde Costa

Matilde Leite

Matilde Pinheiro

Nair Bilber

Pedro Soares

Rafaela Filipe

Rafaela Sousa

Rita Silveira

Salvador Fonseca

Sarah Pressler

Suéli Fernandes

Wellington Ramos

Trainers

Raquel Couto (principal conductor)

Joana Leite Castro (vocal technician)

Jonas Pinho (musical training)

Dalila Teixeira and Duarte Cardoso (accompanist pianists)