The sixth edition of the Cello Festival à Corda takes place between September 20 and 27 in Coimbra, presenting nine proposals distributed across various spaces in the city and region, including the Joanina Library of the University of Coimbra, the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Nova, Sé Velha and the Convento São Francisco. The festival director, Tiago Anjinho, explained that this edition was built around the pillars of memory, encounter, training and openness, bringing together international performers, Portuguese musicians, young talents and proposals that traverse classical music, cinema, dance and musical traditions.
The festival opens with the screening of the documentary "Where Music Grows", by Katrine Philip, at the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra, dedicated to the work of Jacob Shaw. Among the highlights of the program is "O Legado de Suggia", with Filipe Quaresma playing the Montagnana cello that belonged to the historic cellist Guilhermina Suggia, accompanied at the piano by Pedro Burmester. The closing, on September 27, is by the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nuno Coelho, with the work "The Return of Don Quixote" by Richard Strauss, using the cello of Friedrich Grützmacher, the musician who premiered the piece in 1898.
The program also includes performances by Ophélie Gallard solo at Sé Velha, a recital by Luka Coetzee and Sérgio de A. at the Ancient Church of Convento São Francisco, and Margarita Balanas performing Gulda's cello concerto at the Municipal Theatre of Lousã. On the 25th, the "Elgar Concerto" takes place with Torleif Thedéen and the Ensemble de Cellos à Corda, followed the next day by "Quando o Sol Desce" by the Chilean ensemble Barlavento Sur with Mariana Lemos, and "Olhó Forró!" with Lira Trio and a dance workshop.
The festival also features an international masterclass between September 21 and 26, led by Jacob Shaw and Johannes Grey, with eight participants, two of whom are Portuguese. Six of the proposals are free, upon reservation, and the others have prices between 10 and 25 euros. The total investment of the festival is around 100 thousand euros, of which 25 thousand euros are ensured by the Municipality of Coimbra.
