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Thirteen concerts and more than two hundred musicians will be bringing the Algarve Music Festival to life, starting on 6th April. This major music festival is ready to go. After a break of three years, the Teatro das Figuras took up the project and wants the event to be a success. The festival, which was presented today in the Solar do Capitão-Mor in Faro, will open with the presentation of the work “Requiem à Memória de Camões” by the Portuguese composer João Domingos Bomtempo, and it will run until 9th June 2007.

The event involves high class performers who are part of the Orchestra of Vienna, the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa and the Orquestra do Algarve, as well as the opera singer Ute Lemper. FIMA will be staged at various venues in the Algarve region, such as the Igreja Matriz in Alvor, the Teatro das Figuras in Faro and the Municipal Auditorium in Lagoa, and is supported by the municipalities of Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa, Loulé and Vila Real de Santo António, in addition to the Algarve Tourism Board, which founded the initiative, as well as private sponsors.

The event, which is being staged for the 29th time, has not been held since 2004, and until now has been organised by the RTA, who hold the rights to the festival name. This time, the RTA will be giving a small amount of support, according to José Dias, voting member of the Tourism Board. He said that the RTA was not only involved in this type of event.

A third of the funding comes from the Faro Municipal Council, while the other municipalities are contributing a third, with the remaining funding being provided by sponsors.

Despite the well-known financial difficulties of Faro Council, the president of the municipality, José Apolinário, made a point of stressing that culture will continue to be a major focus of the municipality’s attention. He said that in 2006, Faro Council has allocated 14% of its operating expenses for the cultural sector. Paulo Neves, president of the Board of Directors of the Faro Municipal Theatre, stressed the importance of the involvement of the municipalities which will enable to festival to be held.

The festival will take place under the artistic direction of maestro Osvaldo Ferreira, of the Orquestra do Algarve.

Ending in grand style

To bring the series of concerts to a close, there will be a unique event: a grand symphony concert with three Portuguese orchestras: the Orquestra do Algarve, the Orquestra do Norte and the Orquestra Filarmonia das Beiras.

The concert, which will be on 9th June, has the President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, as patron; he will attend the concert which will be part of the official commemorations of the Day of Portugal. The closing concert will be broadcast live on Portuguese television.

Interactive Opera

One of the jewels in the crown of FIMA will be the première of an opera by Mozart entitled “O Empresário” (The Impressario). The work has been translated and adapted to the modern day, according to Luís Vicente of the Algarve Theatre Company, which is producing the event, accompanied by the Orquestra do Algarve.

“O Empresário”, an opera that lasts only 60 minutes, tells the story of the creation of an opera, the quarrels between the applicants for the leading roles which are at the root of the incidents which precede the preparation of a play.

The work will be premièred on 1st June at the Teatro das Figuras in Faro, and its special feature is that it is interactive as the actors (and singers) will be in contact with members of the audience.

To see the FIMA presentation video, click on the additional file below.

source: algarve observer