Between 27 September and 11 October, Bragança will host the fifth edition of the Bragança ClassicFest International Music Festival, an event that celebrates artistic excellence and the transformative power of classical music.
Over the years, the festival has gained national and international prestige, and is recognised by the constant presence of renowned performers and composers, whose careers are acclaimed by both specialised critics and the public. The programme, conceived with rigour and sensitivity, offers a rich and diverse panorama of the great works of the classical repertoire, presented in dialogue with new readings and interpretations, capable of awakening knowledge, creativity and emotion in different generations of listeners.
More than just a series of concerts, Bragança ClassicFest is an aesthetic and sensory experience that brings varied audiences - families, young people, students and children - closer to a universal musical heritage. The cross-cultural approach and artistic daring that characterise the festival transform the city into a hub of creative attraction, projecting the territory as a meeting place and a place of cultural demand.
At a time when principles and references are being diluted, the arts have an essential mission: to inspire, bring people together and reveal new meanings. In this spirit, the festival, organised by the Municipality of Bragança / Teatro Municipal de Bragança and DSCH Associação Musical, under the artistic direction of Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro, values freedom of expression and promotes the sharing of cultures, strengthening unity and dialogue between peoples.
The concerts will take place in exceptional venues, such as the Teatro Municipal de Bragança, one of the most renowned theatres in the country, but also in places of great heritage symbolism, such as the Basilica of Santo Cristo de Outeiro and the Church of São Francisco, where art merges with history and spirituality.
With a programme of excellence and the participation of world-class artists, Bragança ClassicFest is a unique cultural landmark that celebrates music as a universal language and distinguishes Bragança as a benchmark in the contemporary arts scene.
A symbol of the universality and prestige of classical music, as well as a reinforcement of culture as a fundamental pillar of human and territorial development, the Bragança ClassicFest – International Music Festival has been tuning sensibilities, winning hearts, and breathing alongside Bragança and its People. Within this framework, the Bragança Municipal Theatre is proud to organize and host the 5th edition of the Bragança ClassicFest – International Music Festival, recognizing in this festival not only a cultural event of national and international prominence, but a true path of beauty, sharing, and celebration of the arts, pursued with excellence and a genuine desire to bring Culture to all.
Between September 27 and October 11, 2025, the municipality of Bragança will once again become a privileged stage for encounters: between sound and silence, between past and present, between heritage, people, and music.
Under the Artistic Direction of Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro, this edition presents a musical journey of eight concerts, featuring acclaimed soloists, ensembles, and orchestras, complemented by educational and audience engagement activities, making music a gesture of connection and discovery.
The Opening Concert will take place in the magnificent Basilica of Santo Cristo de Outeiro, where the notes of the Ensemble Ars Minima will echo between stone and sky. This will be followed by memorable moments at the Bragança Municipal Theatre and the Church of São Francisco, with performances by the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble L’Amoureux Empire, DSCH – Schostakovich Ensemble, Quartz Quintet, Juventus Ensemble & Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro, and the Philharmonia Frankfurt Orchestra.
With sincere gratitude and an unwavering sense of public service, the Bragança Municipal Theatre thanks all the partners who make this festival possible, especially His Excellency the President of the Republic, for the High Patronage granted – a gesture that dignifies this initiative and reaffirms Culture as a key to development, identity, and collective aspiration.
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.
In parallel, Bragança ClassicFest continues its educational mission, promoting masterclasses at the Bragança Regional Conservatory and open rehearsals at the Municipal Theatre, 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!
