The eighth edition of the FIPO, held in Oeiras until July 27, features Canadian Angela Hewitt, a leading expert in Bach, the artistic director of France’s Festival Ravel, Bertrand Chamayou, pianist Tiffany Poon from Hong Kong, and young Israeli prodigy Yoav Levanon, who will pay tribute to German and French composers, the organization announced in a statement.
Pianist Teresa da Palma Pereira will open the festival at the Ruy de Carvalho Auditorium in Carnaxide with a recital spanning composers from the Baroque to modern times, featuring works by Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Turina, and Falla.
During the inaugural session, FIPO will also honor guitarist Piñero Nagy, founder of the Estoril Music Festival in 1975, which introduced more than three hundred classical works previously unheard in Portugal.
Angela Hewitt, internationally renowned for her Bach interpretations, will present the “Goldberg Variations” on July 20 as part of her international tour marking her 50-year career.
On July 13, French pianist Bertrand Chamayou will perform all three movements of Maurice Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Nuit,” celebrating the 150th anniversary of the French composer’s birth, to be marked in 2025.
Chamayou, also director of the Festival Ravel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is noted for his fresh interpretations of French repertoire, including works by Ravel, Liszt, Schumann, Glinka, and Balakirev.
On July 6, Tiffany Poon, performing in Portugal for the first time, will play pieces by Schumann, Debussy, and Ravel’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales.”
The festival’s final recital on July 27 will feature young Israeli pianist Yoav Levanon, 21, who will perform works by Couperin, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Schumann, Balakirev, and Ravel’s “Minueto sobre o nome de Haydn,” offering a concluding tribute to the French composer.
Teresa da Palma Pereira, the festival’s artistic director, indicated that FIPO is increasingly establishing itself as a major European summer festival with international appeal, attracting music enthusiasts, amateur musicians, and young professionals.
Illustrating the festival’s prestige, Teresa da Palma pointed out that Angela Hewitt and Bertrand Chamayou have previously performed at the Gulbenkian, while Tiffany Poon—a popular ‘YouTuber’ pianist with over 325,000 followers and 50 million views—will play in Portugal for the first time.
The artistic director and Bertrand Chamayou will also hold ‘masterclasses,’ now fully booked, with students from Sweden, Japan, Spain, Germany, and Portugal, along with introductory courses open to all ages.
Concert entry is free with prior registration, and all performances take place on Sundays at 6:00 PM at the Ruy de Carvalho Auditorium.
The VIII edition of FIPO is supported by the Oeiras City Council, La Caixa/BPI Foundation, Areeiro Senior Residences, Vila Galé group, Nadir Afonso Foundation, Antena 2, RTP2, NOVA University of Lisbon, and the European Festivals Association, of which the Oeiras International Piano Festival is a member.
