Portimão’s TEMPO Theatre will once again host the Algarve International Piano Festival, this time with live audience
– January 27, 2022
After an “online edition in 2021”, the Algarve International Piano Festival is returning to Portimão’s TEMPO theatre for a series of live concertos.
The sixth edition will begin on Saturday (January 29) at 7pm with a performance by H4nds Duo, featuring pianists António Luís Silva and Tiago Nunes, who will be playing pieces by several renowned composers including Schubert, Dvořák, Gluck, Piazzola and Zequinha de Abreu.
“The geographic diversity of the composers selected” aims to take listeners on a journey and pay homage to the resilience of everyone who was prevented from travelling in recent years due to the pandemic.
The second concerto will take place on Sunday, February 5, featuring Kosovo-born pianist Mrika Sefa, an award-winning musician who frequently works together with artists from all over Europe including Portuguese maestro Martim Sousa Tavares from the Orquestra Sem Fronteiras (Orchestra Without Borders).
South-Korean pianista Youngho Park will make his debut at the festival on Sunday, March 5, for a solo performance. Park has performed all over the world, having won several awards and contests, and performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Gunpo Philharmonic Orchestra and Seoul National University Philharmonic Orchestra.
The string of shows will continue Sunday, April 9 when Argentine pianist Pablo Lapidusas will take the main stage at TEMPO. Lapidusas began his piano studies in Brazil, where he went on to perform alongside a multitude of musicians, from the Canadian Orchestra I Musici de Montréal to the band of Brazilian rapper Marcelo D2. He has already recorded two albums and performed live in 20 countries, taking the stage at massive festivals such as Rock in Rio, Montreux Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Summer Stage (held at New York’s Central Park), Lollapalooza, Roskilde, Nice Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival and Back to Black.
Two final concertos are planned for May, with the Algarve Symphonic Orchestra (which took to the stage for the first time in October) due to perform on May 6 with maestro Armando Mota conducting. Performing with the orchestra will be Leonardo Hilsdorf, described as one of the best up-and-coming Brazilian pianists. Hilsdorf was a young soloist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium for two years under the direction of his current mentor, Maria João Pires.
Last but not least, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra will perform on Friday, May 20, led by maestro Adrian Leaper and accompanied by soloist João Rosado.
Additional Information
Tickets cost between €20 and €25 and can be purchased online at www.tempo.bol.pt or at TEMPO’s ticket office between Tuesday and Saturday from 1pm to 6pm or on the nights of the concerts.
The February 5, March 5 and March 9 performances will begin at 7pm, whilst the May 6 and May 20 concertos are scheduled for 9pm.
