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Porto Pianofest © DR
From 1 to 12 August, Porto will once again host one of the summer festivals most focused on the piano, bringing together musicians from all over the world. The 10th edition of the festival celebrates the journey it has taken, which began with three concerts in 2016 and now features more than twenty-five concerts and masterclasses throughout the city (and beyond).
Before the official opening of the festival, the piano can already be heard: on 30 July, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the Bolhão Market will be transformed into a concert hall for the Piano Marathon. More than 30 pianists will perform there. ‘We will have pianists aged between four and 80; there are always people who come by and ask if they can play. And this is a way of showing the city that we are here and that the festival is going to happen,’ Nuno Marques, artistic director and co-founder of the festival, tells Agenda Porto.
The city as a stage and home
For this pianist living in New York, choosing Porto to host this festival was ‘obvious’. It was the way he found to share with the city all the experience he had gathered abroad. ‘I was born here and my whole family is from here, so this project only made sense to me in Porto (and it still does).’ The idea for the festival came about in New York, in a conversation with his wife Mariel Mayz, an American pianist and composer, co-founder and deputy director of the festival. They both wanted to create an educational project with the aim of bringing music and their knowledge and learning to more people. “We were on Broadway when we felt it was time to create this project, and Porto was the right place, with its history and a cultural summer to fill.”
From the outset, the festival had the support of Porto City Council and institutions such as Casa da Música, which hosted the first Pianofest concert. The aim was clear: a summer festival with a strong educational component, focusing on the piano, but open to cross-genre collaborations and with a diverse programme. ‘We wanted to break down barriers with free or low-cost concerts, and times and venues accessible to everyone, from the most conventional halls to public gardens, from the city centre to places [that are] further off the beaten track.’
Mariel Mayz and Nuno Marques. Photo © Nuno Miguel Coelho
Porto Pianofest © DR
Highlights of this edition
The selection of artists is made using the same principle. ‘They don't have to be my favourite pianists, but they have to be someone I listen to and say: This is worth listening to. It's a constant, long-term, almost daily task,’ says Nuno.
In this edition, there is an average of two to three concerts per day, in addition to the masterclasses. ‘We welcome artists from all over the world. The concerts are the visible part, to enjoy the music, but during the day these artists give open classes with the aim of promoting learning and sharing. It's a way of explaining the process and all the work involved to the public.’
This year's highlights include the Baptiste Trotignon Trio, which opens the festival on 1 August at Casa da Música with the Brexit Music project — jazz versions of British pop rock classics. On 10 August, at Serralves, the Liaisons Project will premiere in Portugal, a collection of piano pieces inspired by the work of Stephen Sondheim, and for the closing, on 12 August, at the Palácio da Bolsa, there will be the return of Russian-American pianist Alexander Kobrin.
There will also be concerts designed for children and families, such as the sunset show at Pátio do Romântico, ‘As Histórias que nos Habitam’ (The Stories that Live Within Us), with free admission. On stage will be two American artists — Nicole Wakabayashi (piano and vocals) and Lilliana de los Reyes (percussion and vocals) — accompanied by the Braga Sinfonietta, in a relaxed and narrative concert, ideal for all ages.
10 years in retrospect
This year, the festival celebrates its 10th edition and so far there have been moments that have remained etched in our memory. "The first open-air concert, in the Pátio do Romântico, with the audience sitting on the ground with blankets and in absolute silence listening to Bach, was stunning. I would also highlight the debut of the Stars of American Ballet in the 3rd edition; it was a qualitative leap for us to be able to bring them here. And, of course, that moment at the first concert of the festival, at Casa da Música, when I realised that this was really happening," says Nuno.
As they celebrate this date, Nuno and Mariel realise that more than a series of events, Porto Pianofest is a network of relationships between musicians, audiences and ideas. ‘We like to attend classes, watch concerts, talk. It's a complete experience and we realise that it's not just for others, but for us too,’ reflects Mariel.
Porto is strategically positioned on the map between Central Europe and the United States and, year after year, is gaining a place on the international summer festival circuit. As Mariel says, with the serenity of someone who knows what they have built: ‘Porto means big ideas. It is a place of arrival and sharing.’
Porto Pianofest © DR
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