PER-SE-CUSSIO ENSEMBLE GRUP DEL CSMV
Directors: Manel Ramada, Miguel Angel Orero and Juan Pablo Hellín
Obertura by R. Mas (2003)
El amante by T. Arboledas (2016)
Aire rítmico by S. León (2004)
La vida breve. Danza española nº1 by M. de Falla/arr. M.Tomás (1905)
Cantata para América Mágica by A. Ginastera (1960)
Overture for 10 Percussionists by Rafael Mas, it was written in 2003. Rafael Mas is a timpanist for ORTVE and wrote this very rhythmic and energetic piece that shows the different families of percussion with different solos and with an ostinato that will lead us to the end.
El amante (The Lover) is a buleria written in 2016 by Tomás Arboledas, current professor at the CSM of Granada. In it he uses a group of mallets accompanied by clapping and traditional flamenco percussion.
In 2004, Sevillian percussionist Silvia León wrote Aire ritmico (Rhythmic Air) for 4 Fans, which explores the sound possibilities of these objects.
La Vida Breve was composed by Manuel de Falla in 1905 as a lyrical drama (opera). It was premiered in 1913 in Nice (France). The work has influences of impressionism and post-romanticism. We will perform an arrangement for percussion orchestra of the Spanish dance No. 1 of this work.
The Cantata for América Mágica by argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera was composed in 1960 and premiered at the Second Inter-American Music Festival in Washington, D.C., in 1961. This great work for dramatic soprano and percussion orchestra mixes folkloric elements (indigenous instruments and poems of pre-Columbian inspiration by Mercedes de Toro, Ginastera’s first wife) with thematic and structural devices common to the Second Vienna School. The work’s six movements trace a narrative arc from invocation and romance to battle, defeat, and apocalyptic prophecy. The hinge is the fourth movement, the purely instrumental “Fantastic Interlude”. It is a fast, bright toccata that adds instruments (but within a constant pianissimo range) until it climaxes on a 12-note chord with tremolo, and then retreats in reverse order. The singer’s broad lines have much of the angularity associated with 12-tone music of the period, but also a suggestion of vernacular ornamentation as well as motivic identification. Ginastera’s free use of serial methods includes ostinatos and arpeggios, often giving the sensation of a tonal center. His enormous percussion ensemble, ranging from two grand pianos to a pair of stones struck together, provides rich resources to support his dramatic concept.
Performers: Juan López, Miguel Barberà, Fran Navarro, Noel Sáez, Jose Augusto Gran, Miguel Calvo, Victor Pérez, Ferran Silla, Samuel Queralt, Pablo Garcia, Pablo Rubio, Lucia Pascual, Enric Cárcel, Joan Gómez, Arnau Ubierna, Alfredo Sarsa
Pianos and Celesta: Victor Trescolí, Paula Tamarit, Sergio Campayo
Singer: Inca Ripoll
The percussion group “Per-Se-Cussió Ensemble” was formed in 2006 by professor Manel Ramada at the València Conservatory of Music as a continuation of previous formations of the Percussion Chair from the 70s. The group was born with the aim of showing the world of percussion and the wide range of possibilities it offers. Since then, the group has been formed by the most outstanding students who have passed through the percussion department. The group has performed percussion concerts in different towns such as: Gandía, Onda, at the PerKuLlíria festival, at the L’Eliana percussion festival, La Pobla de Vallbona, Benaguasil, at the Perfussió Festival in Vinalesa, at the Ensems Festival in València, in the Riba-Roja Percussion Days, Carcaixent Percussion Week, Catalonia Percussion Day in Lleida…and previously throughout the Iberian Peninsula. In 2010 they toured Italy and Slovenia with great success for their concerts. From 2012 to 2017 have participated in the Krakow percussion festival. They have worked and played with masters such as Sergio Izquierdo, Laurent Erdos, Dennis Kuhn, Henrik Larsen, Nacho Ceballos, Leo Saz, Peter Alexander, Pedro Carneiro, Aboo Zezé, Rafa Mas, Jaume Esteve, Joan Pons, Nacho Molins, Jose Trigueros , Nick Woud, Grati Murcia, Zoltan Racz, Jan Pilch, Bernhard Wulff, Massimo Pastore, Filippo Lattanzi, etc. The group has also been led by professors Manuel Tomás and Joan Cerveró. It is currently directed by professors Manel Ramada and Miguel Angel Orero.
Professor of Percussion Studies
Was born in Benaguasil (València), Manel Ramada studied in Valencia with José Sáez, José Morató, Roberto Campos and Manuel Tomás, in Madrid with José Mª Martín Porrás, Enrique Llácer, Joan Iborra and Javier Benet, in Amsterdam with Jan Pustjens, Jan Labordus, Jim Gordon and Peter Prommel and Ghent with Frank Nuyts and Robert van Sice.
He has performed and continues to collaborate with the majority of Spanish symphony orchestras, O. Concertgebouw of Amsterdam as well as instrumental groups such as Barcelona 216, Linea Group, Enigma Group-Chamber Orchestra of the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Amsterdam Percussion Group, Nits-Percussions of the Mediterranean, Instrumental Group of Valencia, Turiae Camerata, Estil Concertant, Taima- Granada, Perkumanía Ensemble, Etnos Ensemble, Batec de l’Alé and Per-sax Duo.
He has been professor of percussion at the Conservatory Superior of Music of Zaragoza from 1986 to 2000 and the Higher Center of Music of the Basque Country (Musikene) from its creation 2001 to 2008. He has created and produced different percussion shows such as Once Upon a Time the Percussion, The Paradidle-Quartet, Around the World in 80 Percussion Instruments, Gaia, Hª of a Percussionist, The History of Percussion in the Orchestra …
He has been guest professor of most of youth orchestras in Spain, artistic director of Per-se-cussió Ensemble and Perkustra and He is currently Professor of Percussion at the Conservatory of Music of Valencia and a member of PerKu-Va.
He has taught summer courses, lectures and master classes in conservatories throughout Spain, Europe, Asia and Latin America. He has participated as a jury in several international percussion competitions. He has recorded for RNE and Catalunya Ràdio. He is the author of several publications on the teaching of percussion such as Percussion in the Classroom, The Orchestral snare drum, Atlas of Percussion, Orchestral Trials for percussion, Caixa d’orquestra, Percussion-Test, Iberian Mallets and El Ritme i la Percussió.
Professor of Percussion Studies
Miguel Ángel Orero García studied at the Elementary and Professional Music Conservatories of Buñol (Valencia) and Riba-Roja del Turia (Valencia), obtaining the title of professor and Honor Award in Professional Degree in the specialty of Percussion. After that, he entered the C.S.M. Zaragoza with Professor Manel Ramada, and later, at the C.S.M. “Joquín Rodrigo” (Valencia) with the professors Jesús Salvador, Joan Cerveró and Manuel Tomás, where he obtained the title of Superior Professor and Honor Award in the specialty of Percussion. From his qualification as a senior professor and after passing the teaching period and his research proficiency, he obtained the D.E.A. (Advanced Studies Diploma) in the PhD program in Music from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. At that same University he obtained a PhD “cum laude” in the “Art: Production and Research” program. He also has a Master’s Degree in Composition with New Technologies, from the International University of La Rioja.
He has belonged to the percussion groups of the C.S.M. of Zaragoza and the C.S.M. From
Valencia; and he is a founding member of the “Kontakte” Percussion Group. He has participated with the percussion group “Amores”. He is a founding member and director of the group specialized in repertoire of the Middle Ages and Renaissance “Estampida Real”. He has been part of the baroque music groups “La Reverencia” and medieval music “Capilla Antigua de Chinchilla”, and has collaborated with other groups early music such as “Victoria Musicae”, “Capella de Ministrers” and “Artefactum”.
With all these percussion and Historical Interpretation groups, he has made various recordings for labels such as Ars Harmonica, Vanitas, Several Records, Columna Música, Naxos, etc. He has been a regular member of the Youth Orchestra of the Valencian Community (JORVAL), and has participated with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the University of Valencia. He has collaborated with the Zaragoza Auditorium Chamber Orchestra, the Alicante Symphony Orchestra, the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, the Galician “Royal Philharmonia” Orchestra, the Valencia Orchestra, the Valencia Symphony Orchestra, the Albacete Symphony Orchestra and the “Valencia Instrumental Group”; with the latter, he received in 2005, from the Ministry of Culture, the National Music Award in the interpretation modality.
From 1998 to 2013, he has been a professor specializing in percussion at the “Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco” Professional Conservatory of Music in Albacete, holding the management of professional conservatory since 2010 too. From 2013 to 2022 he assumes the chair of percussion, as well as the direction of the Higher Conservatory of Music in Castilla-La Mancha.
From 2022 he is currently a professor of percussion at ISEACV, currently destined for the 2023-2024 academic year at the “Joaquín Rodrigo” Higher Conservatory of Music in Valencia.
Professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo in Valencia
Born in Torrent (Valencia), Juan Pablo Hellín studied orchestral conducting with Salvador Mas in Barcelona, and at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (USA) with professors Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar.
He has conducted the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Región de Murcia, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Banda Municipal de Bilbao, Orquesta de Cámara del auditorio de Zaragoza/Grupo Enigma, Filarmónica de Eslovenia, Varna State Philarmonie (Bulgaria), etc., among others, and has given concerts in emblematic halls such as the Berlin Philarmonie, the Herkulessal in Munich and the Laieshalle in Hamburg.
In the operatic field he has performed works by Britten, Poulec, Weill, Ravel, Mozart or Rossini and has premiered works by composers such as Agustín Charles, Carlos Cruz de Castro, Llorenç Barber, Violeta Dinescu or Elena Kats-Chernin,
Mr. Hellín is currently professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo in Valencia.
La Abbotsford Youth Orchestra (AYO) de Canadá, dirigida por el Dr. Calvin Dyck, fue fundada en el año 2000. Este grupo de músicos de cuerdas seleccionado por audición ha actuado en diversos escenarios, incluyendo desfiles, conciertos, sesiones de grabación y ha ganado premios en festivales de música. Su repertorio incluye música clásica, de violín, Broadway y música folclórica.
La AYO está compuesta por tres grupos: Orquesta Junior (Grado 2 a 4 del RCM), Orquesta Intermedia (Grado 5 en adelante del RCM) y Orquesta Senior (Grado 7 en adelante del RCM).
Dr. Calvin Dyck comenzó su formación musical con el acordeón a los 5 años y con el violín a los 8. Tras completar su A.R.C.T. en 1981, estudió en la Universidad Biola y en la Universidad del Sur de California, donde obtuvo su Doctorado en Artes Musicales en Interpretación de Violín en 1991. Ha viajado por el mundo con diversos conjuntos musicales y participa en una amplia variedad de compromisos, películas y sesiones de grabación.
Actualmente, Calvin es el Concertino de la Sinfónica de la Isla de Vancouver en Nanaimo, Canadá. Ha impartido clases en el Scripps College y la Universidad Biola en California, así como en el Kwantlen College y la Universidad Trinity Western en Columbia Británica, Canadá. Calvin ha lanzado cuatro grabaciones: Meditation, This Shining Night, One Small Child y The Dancing Violin.
The Montreal Suzuki String Orchestra (MSSO) de Canadá, dirigida por el violinista Dragan Djerkic, ha acogido a casi 1000 estudiantes desde 1990, algunos de los cuales han seguido carreras como solistas actuando con orquestas importantes a nivel mundial. Se distingue por ser un conjunto dinámico sin audiciones, creado específicamente para brindar oportunidades a todos los jóvenes músicos. Como una de las dos orquestas juveniles del Instituto Suzuki (Montreal), el conjunto ofrece conciertos bianuales en la histórica Sala de Conciertos Oscar Peterson de Montreal. En la lingüísticamente diversa Montreal, con su rica mezcla de festivales de jazz, música clásica y étnica, la música sigue siendo su lenguaje universal. Además de la música atemporal de Bach, Beethoven y Mozart, la MSSO también deleita al público con música folclórica gitana, tangos argentinos e incluso composiciones modernas de Philip Glass y el nativo de Montreal, Leonard Cohen. En un mundo en rápida evolución, los jóvenes músicos de la MSSO están encontrando su lugar como embajadores globales y alcanzando su máximo potencial. Valoran cómo los viajes pueden expandir su visión del mundo y cómo la música puede convertir a extraños en amigos. Los intercambios culturales globales, como el festival Summa Cum Laude, permiten a los jóvenes colaborar y alcanzar nuevas alturas, tanto como individuos como en comunidad.
El director Dragan Djerkic es un apasionado de las orquestas juveniles. Como joven inmigrante de Serbia, Dragan estudió con el violinista Mauricio Fuks en la Universidad McGill en Montreal. Tras graduarse, enseñó en el Conservatorio de Música de McGill hasta que abrió su propia escuela de violín, el Instituto Suzuki, con Vera Mirkovic en 1984, y fundó la Orquesta de Cuerdas Suzuki de Montreal en 1990. Dragan se inspiró en el violinista, educador y humanitario japonés Dr. Shinichi Suzuki y sus enseñanzas sobre cómo los niños aprenden a experimentar la belleza y la música.
Dragan combinó su virtuosismo desarrollado en McGill con su pasión y don para la enseñanza. Desde 1988, miles de jóvenes han sido atraídos al Instituto Suzuki, construyendo un mundo hermoso, un arco a la vez. En 2016, Dragan combinó su amor por la música y los viajes para liderar su primera gira internacional. Bajo los auspicios de la Liga de Cuerdas Asombrosas, su Ensamble de Actuación de Canadá fusionó a la MSSO de Quebec con intérpretes de las principales academias de música y danza de Ontario. Durante una gira de diez días en China, actuaron en salas de conciertos nacionales en Pekín, Shanghái, Hangzhou, Suzhou y Xuzhou.
Camerata
La Camerata de la Academia de Música de Lisboa es una orquesta de cuerdas formada por jóvenes músicos de 14 a 18 años, cuidadosamente seleccionados entre los estudiantes de la Academia de Música de Lisboa. Fundada en 2007, ha sido dirigida musicalmente por Rui Fernandes, Roberto Valdés, Rui Pinheiro, Pedro Ramos, Filipa Poêjo, Pedro Neves y, desde septiembre de 2022, Alexandre Delgado. Esta orquesta actúa regularmente en algunas de las principales salas de conciertos de Portugal, como el CCB, la Fundación Gulbenkian, el Auditorio del Museo de Oriente, el Palacio de Ajuda, el Palacio de Foz, entre otros. En el escenario internacional, la Camerata ha realizado giras por Noruega, Suiza, Escocia, Italia y España, y participa regularmente en programas de intercambio: en 2015 con la Orquesta Promúsica (Málaga, España), en 2016 con la Orquesta Juvenil Barratt Due (Oslo, Noruega), en 2017 con la Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Zúrich (Zúrich, Suiza), en 2018 con la Orquesta Juvenil de Dublín (República de Irlanda) y los Solistas Juveniles de Trondheim (Trondheim, Noruega). Su repertorio incluye obras de todas las épocas y estilos musicales, incluyendo varios estrenos mundiales.
Os Violinhos
La Orquesta Os Violinhos se ha consolidado como uno de los mejores conjuntos musicales juveniles de Portugal. Fundada en 2003, está formada por 30 violinistas de entre 7 y 17 años, seleccionados de entre más de 200 estudiantes de la Academia de Música de Lisboa, reconocida como una de las escuelas de violín más prestigiosas de Portugal. El público de todo el mundo ha respondido con entusiasmo a un programa que combina la energía, el virtuosismo y el entusiasmo que solo se encuentra en un grupo de violinistas jóvenes tan talentosos. Os Violinhos ha sido transmitido en programas de televisión nacionales, ha actuado en los principales escenarios de Portugal y ha sido objeto de numerosos artículos y reportajes en periódicos y revistas. Como parte de un estrecho intercambio cultural con la Academia Betty Haag en Chicago (EE.UU.), han ofrecido conciertos con The Magical Strings of Youth en Lisboa, en el Teatro Camões, y en la renombrada Sala de la Orquesta del Centro Sinfónico de Chicago. Os Violinhos realiza giras regulares en Portugal y en el extranjero, habiendo actuado extensamente en numerosos países europeos, incluyendo Austria, Croacia, Chequia, Dinamarca, Finlandia, Francia, Alemania, Hungría, Italia, Noruega, Eslovaquia, Eslovenia, Suecia, Suiza, España y Reino Unido. Individualmente, los violinistas de esta orquesta han ganado todas las competiciones nacionales e internacionales de violín celebradas en Portugal y España, acumulando más de 200 premios, incluyendo 60 primeros lugares.
Alexandre Delgado estudió en la Fundación Musical de los Amigos de los Niños en Lisboa. En composición, fue alumno particular de Joly Braga Santos (1924-1988) y estudió en Francia con Jacques Charpentier, graduándose con el Primer Premio del Conservatorio de Niza en 1990. Su producción incluye música de cámara (Cuarteto de Cuerdas, Burlesca, Langará, The Panic Flirt), conciertos (Concierto para Flauta, Concierto para Viola) y música vocal y dramática (Turbilhão, Poema de Deus e do Diabo, O Doido e a Morte). Su ópera de cámara O Doido e a Morte (1993) se estrenó en Lisboa en el Teatro Nacional de São Carlos y en Berlín en el Theater Am Halleschen Ufer, bajo su dirección. Sus obras han sido seleccionadas para los Días Mundiales de la Música y ha recibido encargos de festivales internacionales de música.
Como violista, ganó el Premio Jovens Músicos en 1987, estrenó como solista su Concierto para Viola en Portugal, España y los Países Bajos, y es miembro del Cuarteto Lacerda y del Cuarteto de Piano de Moscú.
Director artístico del Festival de Música de Alcobaça desde 2002, es autor del programa A Propósito da Música, transmitido desde 1996 por la radio nacional (Antena 2). Es invitado regularmente como conferencista y comentarista de conciertos por las principales instituciones musicales de Portugal. Sus libros La Sinfonía en Portugal y A Culpa é do Maestro (Crítica Musical 1990/2000) fueron publicados por Caminho. Organizó en 2005 el Festival Luís de Freitas Branco y fue editor y coautor del libro Luís de Freitas Branco, publicado en mayo de 2007 por la misma editorial.
Nacida en Lisboa, Filipa Poêjo obtuvo su Maestría en Música en la Universidad Northwestern en Chicago (EE.UU.), recibiendo becas del Gobierno Portugués y de la Escuela de Música de la Universidad Northwestern. En Chicago, Filipa se especializó en Pedagogía Suzuki bajo la supervisión de una de las pedagogas de violín más destacadas de la actualidad, Betty Haag. Bajo la recomendación de esta pedagoga, con quien mantiene una estrecha colaboración profesional, Filipa también enseñó en el Talent Music Institute de Des Plaines, en Chicago.
De regreso en Portugal, comenzó a enseñar intensivamente y fundó la Orquesta Os Violinhos en 2003, asumiendo su dirección musical desde entonces. Actúa regularmente en público con Os Violinhos, habiendo realizado cientos de conciertos en su país natal, Austria, Chequia, Croacia, Dinamarca, Finlandia, Francia, Alemania, Hungría, Italia, Noruega, Eslovaquia, Suiza, España, Suecia, Reino Unido y Estados Unidos.
Ha actuado con las orquestas portuguesas más destacadas, incluyendo la Orquesta Sinfónica de la Radio Nacional, la Orquesta del Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, la Nova Filarmonia Portuguesa, la Orquesta Metropolitana de Lisboa, la Orquesta Gulbenkian y la Orquesta Sinfónica Portuguesa.
Ha participado en varios festivales de música, destacando el Festival Internacional de Spoleto (Italia), como miembro de la Orquesta Sinfónica del Festival dei Due Mondi.
Filipa Poêjo es actualmente Profesora de Violín en la Academia de Música de Lisboa, y sus estudiantes de violín han sido galardonados con primeros premios en las principales competiciones nacionales e internacionales de violín en Portugal y España.
Nacido en Lisboa, Rui Fernandes recibió becas de la Fundación Gulbenkian, la Fundación Luso-Americana para el Desarrollo y la Universidad Northwestern (EE.UU.), donde estudió con Gerardo Ribeiro, obteniendo una Maestría y un Certificado de Interpretación.
En Estados Unidos, estudió Pedagogía, con un enfoque especial en la metodología Suzuki, con Betty Haag. Fue miembro de la Asociación Suzuki de las Américas y de la Asociación Americana de Profesores de Cuerdas. Entre 1995 y 1997, trabajó en el Talent Music Institute de Des Plaines como asistente del profesor Gerardo Ribeiro en la Escuela de Música de la Universidad Northwestern.
Rui Fernandes fue premiado en las competiciones de violín de la Juventud Musical Portuguesa y en el Premio Joven Músico, en los niveles intermedio y superior. También ganó el Premio del Público “Major Blythe Award” en el Festival Internacional de Juventud de Aberdeen.
Rui Fernandes colabora regularmente con la Orquesta Gulbenkian, con la que ha realizado giras, y actúa con numerosas orquestas y en diversos festivales de música en Europa, Asia, África y América. Ha trabajado con maestros como Christoph Eschenbach, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Brüggen, Kent Nagano, Leonard Slatkin, Pierre Boulez, Pinchas Zukerman, Rudolph Barshai, Shlomo Mintz, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, entre otros.
Rui Fernandes enseñó violín y viola en la Academia de Música de Lisboa de 2004 a 2014. Sus estudiantes han sido premiados en más de 50 ocasiones, ganando las principales competiciones nacionales e internacionales celebradas en Portugal.
Rui Fernandes es el Director de la Academia de Música de Lisboa y Director Artístico del Festival de Música de Lisboa.
Música Temprana es uno de los principales programas educativos de música en la Comunidad Valenciana, España. Con más de 35 años de experiencia, ha buscado constantemente las formas más inspiradoras y efectivas de enseñar música y comprometer a los jóvenes.
La escuela fue pionera en introducir – introducir el método Suzuki en la región y ha mantenido un fuerte espíritu de innovación desde entonces. De esta dedicación nació su orquesta única de violines y pianos, conocida por su sonido distintivo, que ha convertido a Música Temprana en un referente musical tanto en España como a nivel internacional.
Música Temprana ha actuado en lugares como el Palau de la Música de Valencia, el Auditori de Torrent, el Auditori de Castelló, el Théâtre Molière en Lyon, así como en teatros históricos como el Teatro Romano de Sagunto y la Sala de Cristal del Ayuntamiento de Valencia.
Su presencia internacional incluye giras y actuaciones en España, Francia, Italia y Andorra, y cada año acogen a grupos musicales visitantes de todo el mundo para conciertos colaborativos en Valencia.
Música Temprana is a pioneering music school in Valencia, Spain, specializing in the Suzuki Method. This school has over 35 years of teaching experience and has served more than 1,500 students. It is one of the first institutions in the Valencian Community to apply the Suzuki Method, making it a significant center for music education in the region.
The school offers classes in instruments such as violin, piano, flute, and guitar, as well as early music education for children. Its philosophy focuses not only on developing musical skills but also on fostering values like perseverance, empathy, and teamwork.
Founded by Jesús Garcia and Concha Morató, two Valencian musicians trained in traditional methods who were inspired by the Suzuki approach, Música Temprana seeks to create an alternative to competitive music education models. The school has gained recognition for its community impact, with former students returning as parents to enroll their own children, creating a multi-generational musical community. It also engages in public performances, such as concerts at the Salón de Cristales in Valencia’s City Hall, where students as young as 5 years old perform a diverse repertoire.
The Camerata of the Lisbon Music Academy is a string orchestra made up of young musicians aged 14 to 18, carefully selected from among the students of the Lisbon Music Academy. Founded in 2007, it has been musically directed by Rui Fernandes, Roberto Valdés, Rui Pinheiro, Pedro Ramos, Filipa Poêjo, Pedro Neves, and, since September 2022, Alexandre Delgado. This orchestra regularly performs in some of Portugal’s main concert halls, such as the CCB, the Gulbenkian Foundation, the Auditorium of the Oriente Museum, Ajuda Palace, Foz Palace, among others. On the international stage, the Camerata has toured Norway, Switzerland, Scotland, Italy and Spain, and regularly participates in exchange programs: in 2015 with the Orquesta Promusica (Málaga, Spain), in 2016 with Barrat Due’s Junior Orchestra (Oslo, Norway), in 2017 with the Jugend Sinfonieorchester Zürich (Zurich, Switzerland), and in 2018 with the Dublin Youth Orchestra (Republic of Ireland) and the Trondheim Junior Soloists (Trondheim, Norway). Its repertoire includes works from all eras and musical styles, including several world premieres
The Orchestra Os Violinhos has developed into one of the Portuguese finest youth musical ensembles. Founded in 2003, it is comprised of 30 violinists, from 7 to 17 years old, selected from over 200 students of the Lisbon Music Academy, recognised as one of the most prestigious violin schools in Portugal. Audiences around the world have responded enthusiastically to programming that combines the energy, virtuosity and enthusiasm that one can only find on such a group of very gifted and talented young violinists. Os Violinhos have been broadcast on national television shows, performed in the major Portuguese concert venues, and are the subject of many articles and reports in newspapers and magazines. As part of a close cultural exchange with the Betty Haag Academy, in Chicago (USA), they have presented concerts with The Magical Strings of Youth in Lisbon, in Camões Theatre, and at the renowned Orchestra Hall of the Chicago Symphony Center. Os Violinhos tour regularly in Portugal and abroad, having performed extensively in many European countries, including Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and United Kingdom. Individually, the violinists of this orchestra have won all the major national and international violin competitions held in Portugal and Spain, and have been awarded more than 200 prizes, including 60 first prizes.
Alexandre Delgado studied at the Fundação Musical dos Amigos das Crianças, in Lisbon. ln composition he was a private pupil of Joly Braga Santos (1924-1988) and studied in France in the class of Jacques Charpentier, graduating with the 1st Award of the Nice Conservatoire in 1990. His production includes specially chamber music (String Quartet, Burlesca, Langará, The Panic Flirt), concertos (Flute Concerto, Viola Concerto) and vocal and dramatic music (Turbilhão, Poema de Deus e do Diabo, O Doido e a Morte). His chamber opera O Doido e a Morte (Death and the Madman, 1993) was premiered in Lisbon at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos and in Berlim at the Theater Am Halleschen Ufer, under his direction. His works have been chosen for some of the World Music Days and he received several comissions from international music festivals.
As a viola player, he won the Jovens Músicos Award in 1987, premiered as a soloist his Viola Concerto in Portugal, Spain and Holland and is a member of the Quarteto Lacerda and of the Moscow Piano Quartet.
Artistic Director of the Alcobaça Music Festival since 2002, he is author of the program A Propósito da Música, broadcasted since 1996 by the national radio (Antena 2). He is regularly invited as a conferencist and concerts comentator by the main musical institu-tions of Portugal and his books The Symphony in Portugal and A Culpa é do Maestro (Crítica Musical 1990/2000) were published by Caminho. He organized in 2005 the Festival Luís de Freitas Branco and he was editor and co-author of the book Luís de Freitas Branco, relayed in May 2007 by the sarne publisher.
Born in Lisbon, Filipa Poêjo obtained her Master of Music Degree at the Northwestern University, in Chicago (USA), having been awarded scholarships from the Portuguese Government and from the Northwestern University School of Music. While in Chicago, Filipa Poêjo specialized in Suzuki Pedagogy under the supervision of one of the most distinguished violin pedagogues of the present times, Betty Haag. Under the recommendation of this pedagogue, with who she still maintains a close professional collaboration, Filipa also taught at the Talent Music Institute of Des Plaines, in Chicago.
Back in Portugal, she began to teach intensively and established the Orchestra Os Violinhos in 2003, assuming its Musical Direction since then. She regularly appears in public with Os Violinhos, having performed hundreds of concerts in her home country, Austria, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.
She has performed with the most distinguished Portuguese orchestras, including National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra do Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Nova Filarmonia Portuguesa, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Gulbenkian Orchestra and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra.
She performed in several music festivals, with prominence to the Spoleto International Festival (Italy), as a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica di Festival dei Due Mondi.
Filipa Poêjo is currently Violin Professor at the Lisbon Music Academy, and her violin students have been awarded first prizes in the main national and international violin competitions, in Portugal and Spain.
Born in Lisbon, Rui Fernandes received a scholarship from the Gulbenkian Foundation, the Luso-American Foundation for Development and the Northwestern University (USA), where he studied with Gerardo Ribeiro, having obtained a Master’s degree and a Performance Certificate.
Still in the United States, he studied Pedagogy, with a special focus on Suzuki methodology, with Betty Haag. He was a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the American String Teachers Association. Between 1995 and 1997, he worked at the Talent Music Institute of Des Plaines as Assistant of Professor Gerardo Ribeiro at Northwestern University School of Music.
Rui Fernandes was awarded in the violin competitions of the Portuguese Musical Youth and in the Young Musician Award, intermediate and higher level. He also won the Audience Award “Major Blythe Award” at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
Rui Fernandes regularly collaborates with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, with which he has toured, and performs with numerous orchestras and at various music festivals across Europe, Asia, Africa and America. He has worked with Maestros such as Christoph Eschenbach, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Brüggen, Kent Nagano, Leonard Slatkin, Pierre Boulez, Pinchas Zukerman, Rudolph Barshai, Shlomo Mintz, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, among others.
Rui Fernandes taught violin and violet at the Lisbon Academy of Music from 2004 to 2014. His students have been awarded on more than 50 occasions, having won the main national and international competitions held in Portugal.
Rui Fernandes is the Director of the Lisbon Music Academy and Artistic Director of Lisbon Music Fest.
The Montreal Suzuki String Orchestra (MSSO) from Canada, led by violinist Dragan Djerkic, has welcomed nearly 1000 students since in 1990, including some who have gone on to pursue careers as soloists performing with major orchestras worldwide. It is distinguished as a uniquely, non-audition-based, dynamic ensemble specifically created to give opportunities to all young musicians. One of two youth orchestras within the violin school Institut Suzuki (Montreal), the ensemble performs concerts bi-annually in Montreal’s historic Oscar Peterson Concert Hall. In linguistically diverse Montreal, with its rich tapestry of jazz, classical and ethnic festivals, music remains its universal language. In addition to the timeless music of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, the MSSO also entertains audiences with gypsy folk music, Argentinian tangos, and even modern compositions from Philip Glass and Montreal native, Leonard Cohen. In a rapidly evolving world, MSSO’s young musicians are discovering their niche as global ambassadors and realizing their full potential. They appreciate that travel can expand their worldview and how music can help strangers become friends. Global cultural exchanges, such as the Summa Cum Laude festival, enable all young people to cooperate and achieve new heights, both as individuals and as a community.
Conductor Dragan Djerkic is passionate about youth orchestras. As a young immigrant from Serbia, Dragan studied with violinist Mauricio Fuks at McGill University in Montreal. After graduation, he taught at the McGill Conservatory of Music until opening his own violin school, Institut Suzuki, with Vera Mirkovic in 1984 and founding the Montreal Suzuki String Orchestra in 1990. Dragan was inspired by Japanese violinist, educator and humanitarian Dr. Shinichi Suzuki , and his teachings on how children learn to experience beauty and music.
Dragan blended his own virtuosity developed at McGill with his passion and gift of teaching. Since 1988, thousands of young people have been drawn to Suzuki Institute, building a beautiful world, one bow at a time. In 2016, Dragan combined his love of music and travel to lead his first international tour. Under the auspices of the League of Astonishing Strings, his Performance Ensemble of Canada blended Quebec’s MSSO with performers from Ontario’s leading music and dance academies. During a ten-day tour in China, they performed in national concert halls in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Xuzhou.
The Abbotsford Youth Orchestra (AYO) from Canada, directed by Dr. Calvin Dyck, was created in 2000. This auditioned group of string players has performed in various settings, including at parades and concerts, recording sessions, and have won prizes at music festivals. Repertoire includes classical, fiddle, Broadway, and folk music.
The AYO consists of three groups: Junior Orchestra (RCM Grade 2 to 4), Intermediate Orchestra (RCM Grade 5 and up), and Senior Orchestra (RCM Grade 7 and up).
Dr. Calvin Dyck started his musical training on the accordion at age 5. His violin training began when he was 8 years old. Following the completion of his A.R.C.T. in 1981 he went on to study at Biola University and the University of Southern California where, in 1991, he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance. He has traveled around the world with various musical ensembles and enjoys a wide variety of engagements, films and recording sessions.
Currently Calvin is the Concertmaster of the Vancouver Island Symphony in Nanaimo, Canada. Calvin has taught at Scripps College and Biola University in California, and at Kwantlen College and Trinity Western University in British Columbia, Canada. Calvin has released four recordings: Meditation, This Shining Night, One Small Child, and The Dancing Violin.