Composition and Performance Laboratory

The activities of Performa – Composition and Performance Laboratory take place within the context of an ensemble formed in 2007, which includes musicians/faculty and postgraduate students from the Department of Communication and Art at the University of Aveiro, as well as guest musicians: the Performa Ensemble.

The Ensemble is one of the most active chamber music groups in Portugal, specializing in the performance of contemporary music. It focuses its activities on composition and instrumental performance through the premiere, promotion, and recording of works by composers interested in a collaborative and interactive approach with performers. The goal is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and achievements that allow for theoretical reflection, supported by instrumental practice, creation, and interdisciplinarity. The Ensemble has maintained a regular concert schedule in Portugal, with support from the University of Aveiro and funding from the Directorate-General for the Arts (Government of Portugal), with notable performances at Casa da Música in Porto and the Música Viva Festival, as well as in venues and festivals in various countries, including Brazil, Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The Performa Ensemble frequently commissions and premieres works by Portuguese composers or those residing in Portugal. The Ensemble has recorded and contributed to several CDs: “Crossover” (2008), “Cultures électroniques 20” (2008), “Momentum” (2010), “7 Pomegranate Seeds” (2012), “Fados” (2014), and “Intertextualities / Interculturalities” (2018). A more recent project focusing on Portuguese women composers of the 20th and 21st centuries was selected by DGARTES – Internationalization for an international tour in 2016 and was recorded on CD in 2019. Currently, in 2020, the project “Cidades Invisíveis,” which also received support from DGARTES – Apoios Pontuais, Criação, is underway.

Coordination: Jorge Salgado Correia, Helena Marinho and Sara Carvalho