Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Bragança ClassicFest International Music Festival!

In 2021, this internationally recognized festival was born in Bragança, a territory of undeniable historical and cultural significance in Portugal. Conceived and held during the tragic period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1st Bragança ClassicFest achieved immediate success and attracted large audiences, with concerts selling out in the magnificent Teatro Municipal de Bragança and other iconic Bragança venues, creating a healthy intersection of Music and Heritage. This fortunate and memorable debut, praised both nationally and internationally, featured the presence and brilliance of artists of the highest caliber, setting a standard of excellence and paving the way for a future of new challenges, (re)discoveries, and enchantments.

The 2022 edition will bring to Bragança several ensembles and musicians from the international forefront, among which the prestigious Vienna Chamber Orchestra stands out. Equally noteworthy is the presence of several acclaimed musicians, such as the renowned French violist Gérard Caussé, accompanied by his legendary bow viola, built in 1560 by Gasparo da Salò; the virtuoso bandoneón player and Argentine composer Marcelo Nisinman, the only student of Astor Piazzolla and a world reference in contemporary tango; the mezzo-soprano Lena Belkina, a highly awarded Ukrainian singer based in Vienna; and the Bulgarian violinist Mario Hossen, one of the greatest virtuosos and specialists in Paganini.

I also highlight the participation of young musicians, with special attention to the debut of the Juventus Ensemble and the return to Bragança ClassicFest of the violinist Diana Tishchenko, a rising international star, who, following the unforgettable performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the festival’s 1st edition, will perform in 2022 in a recital featuring works from the 19th to the 21st century, including the world premiere of “The Last Lullaby,” composed by her compatriot Bohdan Sehin, one of today’s leading Ukrainian composers.

The program for the 2nd Bragança ClassicFest will feature a varied and appealing repertoire, highlighting: the music of Mozart and Haydn, performed by the excellent Vienna Chamber Orchestra and renowned international soloists; masterpieces by key composers such as Schubert, Dvořák, Debussy, Ravel, among others; arias from some of the most famous operas in history; the tangos of Piazzolla and Nisinman; and the presence of Portuguese music, with a performance of “Llaços, Contradanças e Descantes”, a 2016 work by Eurico Carrapatoso, a composer from Trás-os-Montes, evoking the rich cultural imagery of the region.

The 2nd edition of Bragança ClassicFest thus reaffirms its vocation as an international cultural event of excellence in the city, region, and country, continuing its path of quality, rigor, and artistic sharing, promoting the universal access to Culture and celebrating community life through the extraordinary and unique universal language that is Music!
My heartfelt thanks go to all who make the International Music Festival Bragança ClassicFest possible, beginning with the invaluable support of the Municipality of Bragança, the Municipal Theatre of Bragança, and the DSCH Musical Association, promoters and organizers of this admirable initiative, and to the festival’s main patron, BPI/Fundação “la Caixa”. I also extend my gratitude to the Directorates-General for Arts and Higher Education, the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the Diocese of Miranda-Bragança, the media partner RTP Antena 2, and especially His Excellency the President of the Republic, for granting the High Patronage.