Partitura · October 2025

For those wishing to step into October on the right note and still undecided on what to do, here is our suggestion: join us in celebrating International Music Day, in the most fitting of places – its very own home. Awaiting you is Con Brio, a street performance where the art of sound and contemporary circus converge in a creative union to mark the occasion. This sets the tone for two other major festivities taking place throughout the month: the 25th anniversaries of both Orquestra Sinfónica and Remix Ensemble.

The oldest resident ensemble of Casa da Música, whose earlier history was written under the name Orquestra Nacional do Porto, dedicates three concerts to this milestone, illuminated by Viennese music from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and crowned by the Portuguese premiere of a work by Liza Lim, our current composer-in-residence, summoning the artistry of the acclaimed cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. The contemporary music ensemble, in turn, celebrates its own quarter-century by joining forces with tenor Christoph Prégardien to present a reimagining by Johannes Maria Staud of Schubert’s romantic lied masterpiece Die Schöne Müllerin. Another of our ensembles, Coro Casa da Música, takes the stage for the first time under the baton of Krista Audere, one of Europe’s most celebrated conductors, with a programme evoking the elements of Nature. Still within the sphere of classical music, we highlight the recital of the young, multi-award-winning Armenian pianist Eva Gevorgyan, who brings emblematic Romantic works by key figures such as Chopin, Brahms, and Schumann. And speaking of keys, the one that closes the month is truly golden: Mahler’s Fifth – his most famous symphony – once again in the hands of our symphony orchestra.

Outono em Jazz, the festival that each year finds its place in this season, returns with an intergenerational lineup where established masters and emerging voices share the stage – from the trio of legendary bassist Dave Holland, to the ensemble of the Dutch scene’s “Duke Electronington”, Tijn Wybenga; from the meeting of Maria Luiza Jobim (daughter of Tom Jobim) and António Zambujo, to the cutting edge of improvisation with the quartet of Luís Vicente, John Dikeman, John Edwards and Hamid Drake, as well as disruptive new projects that deserve the spotlight.

Across different musical lands – capes, October abounds with tempting proposals: Irish band God Is An Astronaut return with their newly released and already much-praised Embers; singer-songwriter Ganavya, born in New York and raised in Tamil Nadu, unveils a new album co-produced by Nils Frahm; Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubal – caba and Brazilian mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda bring us their COLLAB project; Austra – lian composer-pianist Luke Howard makes his Portu – guese debut, crossing piano, ambient electronics, and classical influences; the all-female jazz ensemble ARTEMIS performs Arboresque, released under the legendary Blue Note label; Lena d’Água, Miramar, and Maria Ana Bobone showcase, at the highest level, the diversity of Portuguese popular music – and much more awaits discovery in the pages ahead.

A final word goes to our educational activities, with performances and workshops of irresistible playful-pedagogical appeal, and to the free-entry concerts on the Café stage, every Thursday. Let the music play!

October is a month of celebration at Casa da Música. Two of its in-house ensembles – Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and Remix Ensemble – mark important milestones: 25 years of symphonic activity and 25 years of exploring contemporary music, respectively. Two parallel journeys that embody the artistic diversity of Casa da Música and its affirmation as both a national and international reference.