Algarve's Informal Opera Festival Aims to Demystify Opera for All
The Informal Opera Festival (FIO) is set to take place this weekend in Loulé and the village of Alte in the Algarve, with a program designed to make opera accessible to the general public. Announced today, this event focuses on bridging the gap between traditional opera and contemporary audiences through innovative performances.
According to a press release, the festival is dedicated to opera and aims to bring this musical genre closer to everyone. It features four original productions by Portuguese composers, including Fátima Fonte, Sara Ross, João Caldas, and Gerson Baptista, with librettos from writers such as Patrícia Portela, Pedro Rodrigues, Inês Barahona, and Tiago Schwäbl.
Fátima Fonte, from the artistic direction, stated, "FIO is built on encounters between music, words, heritage, and community. Each edition develops its own identity in dialogue with the hosting locations."
The 3rd edition of the festival presents four new operas in their absolute premiere, specifically crafted for the venues. It includes special moments like an operatic flashmob, a roundtable discussion, and creative sound trails connecting the festival's various sites.
The original creations by Portuguese artistic teams are:
- "Mane-Quim/Pig-Malião" by Gerson Batista and Tiago Schwäbl (Saturday at 21:00 at the António Aleixo Amphitheater)
- "M.O.G.A." by Sara Ross and Inês Barahona (Saturday at 22:00 at the Sanctuary of Mãe Soberana)
- "Coisas do Verão" by João Caldas and Pedro Rodrigues (Sunday at 18:00 at the Alte Professional School)
- "Abelardo e Heloísa" by Fátima Fonte and Patrícia Portela (Sunday at 19:30 at the Fonte Grande Amphitheater)
The festival kicks off with an operatic flashmob on Saturday at 11:00 at the Municipal Market, followed by a roundtable and sound trails.
The artistic team includes musical directors Jan Wierzba and Rita Castro Blanco, solo singers Ana Caseiro, Sara Afonso, António Lourenço Menezes, and Ricardo Rebelo da Silva, as well as instrumentalists from the Orchestra of the Algarve and the Village Choir, a community music group from the Algarve.
The project's dynamism comes from its emphasis on contemporary creation by Portuguese composers, heritage valorization, and community involvement. Supported by the Directorate-General for the Arts and the Loulé Municipal Council, with collaboration from the Alte Professional School, Alte Parish Council, MPMP – Living Musical Heritage, Emara Music School, and Antena 2.
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