Information
5th BRAGANÇA CLASSIC FEST
Artistic Director: Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro
27 SEPTEMBER > 11 OCTOBER 2025
Bragança - Portugal
All information in: CLASSICFEST.PT
Introduction, by Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro
Artistic Director of the BRAGANÇA CLASSIC FEST International Music Festival
In 2025, the year that marks its 5th edition, the Bragança ClassicFest International Music Festival continues its mission of providing democratic access to artistic excellence. Since 2021, the Festival has delivered memorable concerts, sold out by an enthusiastic, multigenerational audience, with performances by some of the world's finest orchestras – from Vienna, Paris, St. Petersburg, Venice – as well as major figures from the global music scene – Anna Samuil, Gérard Caussé, Diana Tischenko, Mario Hossen, Pascal Moraguès, Victor Julien-Laferrière, among others – alongside leading artists from the Portuguese musical landscape – such as António Victorino d’Almeida, Pedro Caldeira Cabral, and Sete Lágrimas – and some of the most outstanding talents of the new generation.
Between September 27 and October 11, Bragança once again becomes the epicenter of classical music, hosting the 5th Bragança ClassicFest. Nationally and internationally recognized as a benchmark cultural event, it celebrates musical excellence in community and contributes to the vitality and development of a unique region, full of charm and potential.
One of the major new features of this edition is the decentralization of the program within the Municipality of Bragança: the Opening Concert will take place at the Basilica of Santo Cristo de Outeiro, a national monument since 1927 and the only Basilica located in a Portuguese village. On September 27, the prestigious ensemble Arte Minima, conducted by Pedro Sousa Silva, will present the program "The Golden Age of Portuguese Music", dedicated to composers from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Also for the first time, the Bragança Municipal Theatre will host three major orchestral concerts. Two of these will be performed by the Asturias Symphony Orchestra (OSPA), returning to the Festival after the great success of 2023. Under the direction of its principal conductor, Nuno Coelho, OSPA will be the protagonist of the World Music Day Concert on October 1, featuring the Overture to Mozart’s opera "The Magic Flute" and Beethoven’s famous "Eroica" Symphony – continuing the cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies begun in the Festival’s 3rd edition. On October 2, a program follows with two masterpieces of Romantic music: Schubert’s "Unfinished" Symphony and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.
Another highly anticipated moment is the October 11 concert by the Philharmonia Frankfurt Orchestra, making its debut in Portugal, under the baton of maestro Juri Gilbo and featuring soloist Vladislav Lavrik – one of today’s greatest trumpet players – also making his debut in the country. A grand finale to the Festival.
Among the outstanding musicians of this edition are Swiss violinist Esther Hoppe, who will perform on her 1722 Stradivarius “De Ahna” violin, Norwegian violist Lars Anders Tomter, and Swiss cellist Christian Poltéra – featured in the concert by the acclaimed DSCH Shostakovich Ensemble on October 4.
The Festival also continues to strengthen the dialogue between Music and Heritage – an important hallmark of ClassicFest since its first edition – with three concerts at the Church of São Francisco: on October 3, Ensemble L’Amoureux Empire (1st Prize in Baroque Music at the 2024 Young Musicians Prize) will present a concert dedicated to the Italian Baroque repertoire; on October 9, the Quartz Quintet, led by Bragança-born violinist David Seixas, will offer a journey from Piazzolla to the 21st century; and on October 10, the Juventus Ensemble will present a program featuring two masterpieces of chamber music: Dvořák’s “American” Quartet and Schumann’s Piano Quintet.
At the same time, the Bragança Classic Fest continues its educational focus, promoting masterclasses at the Bragança Conservatory of Music and Dance and open rehearsals at the Municipal Theater, aimed at musicians and students from the region.
A special thank you to all those who make the Bragança ClassicFest International Music Festival possible, starting with the Bragança City Council, the Bragança Municipal Theatre, and DSCH Musical Association – promoters and organizers of this remarkable initiative – as well as the Festival’s patron, BPI/“la Caixa” Foundation. Gratitude is also extended to the Directorate-General for the Arts, the Diocese of Miranda-Bragança, media partner RTP Antena 2, and especially to His Excellency the President of the Republic, for once again granting High Patronage.
Welcome to the 5th edition of Bragança ClassicFest – a landmark cultural event that celebrates classical music with passion and excellence, from Bragança to the world!
GENERAL PROGRAM
SEPTEMBER 27 2025
Basílica de Santo Cristo de Outeiro
Concerto de Abertura - A Era de Ouro da Música Portuguesa
Ensemble Arte Minima
OCTOBER 1 2025
Teatro Municipal de Bragança
Dia Mundial da Música - A Sinfonia Heróica de Beethoven
Orquestra Sinfónica do Principado das Astúrias
OCTOBER 2 2025
Teatro Municipal de Bragança
Schubert & Beethoven: Sinfonia & Concerto
Orquestra Sinfónica do Principado das Astúrias
OCTOBER 3 2025
Igreja de São Francisco
Amores e Desamores do Barroco Italiano
Ensemble L’Amoureux Empire
OCTOBER 4 2025
Teatro Municipal de Bragança
Schubertíada
DSCH Schostakovich Ensemble
OCTOBER 9 2025
Igreja de São Francisco
Mosaico Moderno: De Piazzolla ao séc. XXI
Quartz Quintet
OCTOBER 10 2025
Igreja de São Francisco
Schumann & Dvořák: Mundos Românticos
Juventus Ensemble & Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro
OCTOBER 11 2025
Teatro Municipal de Bragança
Gala de Encerramento
Orquestra Philharmonia Frankfurt
All information in: CLASSICFEST.PT