About

“On the second night I sat close to the central ‘sweet spot’ of the surround sound system, and it made a huge difference to the convincingness of the effect. The brief, rapid succession of bell chimes with which Ângela Da Ponte opened her performance was extraordinarily effective in creating an acoustic and imaginative illusion of mediæval religious architecture; the variety of sounds, both ‘indigenous’ (chants, chimes) and ‘extraneous’ (electronic tones and pulses), with which composer then filled this space all seemed like they belonged there.” Nathan Davies, Fluid Radio

“Even more thrilling was State of(f) Emergencies by Portugal’s Ângela da Ponte. A compelling lyrical tension gave the opening an edgy atmosphere, before letting rip, now feisty and tough, and suddenly ascending into high registers. Following its behavioural and dramatic trajectory was an exhilarating experience: presenting a more complex form of lyricism; fracturing apart into pointillism, hardly any pitches speaking by this point; turning surly and unstable, ripples disrupting the material and triggering harsh accents, before finally something akin to earthquake tremors impossibly brought order in the form of suspended octaves. It was a powerful moment of focus bringing to end the most fabulous piece.” Simon Cummings/ 5:4 World New Music Days 2025, Portugal

Biography (147 words)

Ângela da Ponte (1984/ Azores) is a composer, professor at the Vila Real Conservatoire, Superior School of Music and Performing Arts and a researcher at CESEM – Center for Sociology and Musical Aesthetics Studies. She has received commissions and has been performed by many prestigious ensembles, soloists and orchestras including Smirnov Quartet (Basel Music Academy), Remix Ensemble (PT), Oregon Symphony (US), Vertixe Sonora (ES) and Ensemble New Babylon (DE).

Recognition of her work includes the performance and premieres at several festivals such as Festival Visiones Sonoras 2016 (MX), Audiokineza (PL), Kulturfabrik – 33,7 Festival (LU), Música Viva Festival 2022 (PT) and several distinctions include representing Portugal at the 67th International Rostrum of Composers (RS), the Ibermúsicas Prize 2022 – Composition and Premiere category, selected work at the 2023 ISCM World Music Days in South Africa and winner of the 1st Alvaro García de Zúñiga International Lied Composition Competition.

November 2024

Detailed biography

Holding a PhD by the University of Birmingham (UK), Ângela (1984/ Azores) is a composer, professor at the Vila Real Conservatoire, Superior School of Music and Performing Arts and a researcher at CESEM – Center for Sociology and Musical Aesthetics Studies. She is interested in working sound as a deep listening experience through various mediums and forms, including instrumental, mixed media and electroacoustic music. Since 2016, Ângela is focused in exploring and crossfading practices based on Portuguese traditional music and instruments as a continuous concern in her compositional work, being a pioneer in incorporating the traditional instrument viola da terra (Azores) into the contemporary music scene.

During her graduation at the Superior School of Music and Performing Arts (PT), she studied with João Madureira, Dimitris Andrikopoulos, Carlos Guedes, Marina Pikoul and attended workshops with Magnus Lindberg, Clarence Barlow, Emmanuel Nunes and Klaas de Vries. Later, in her PhD studies at The University of Birmingham, she studied with Jonty Harrison and Michael Zev Gordon and attended workshops with Dai Fujikura and Christopher Austin, as well with the renowned ensembles BCMG (UK), BEAST (UK), EXAUDI Ensemble (UK) and HERMES Ensemble (BE). In 2021, she attended the CROMA (Lisbon) composition workshop with Pierluigi Billone.

Ângela has received commissions and has been regularly performed by many prestigious ensembles, soloists and orchestras including Clara Saleiro (PT), Kathryn Schulmeister (US), Frederic Cardoso (PT), Sérgio Carolino (PT), Nuno Aroso (PT), Júlio Guerreiro (PT), Smirnov Quartet (Basel Music Academy), Remix Ensemble (PT), Sond-Ar’te Electric Ensemble (PT), Drumming GP (PT), BEAST – Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre (UK), BLAST – Bogotá Los Andes Sound Theater (CO), Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (PT), Gulbenkian Orchestra (PT), Orchestre National d’Île de France (FR), Oregon Symphony (US), Vertixe Sonora (ES) and Ensemble New Babylon (DE).

Recognition of her work includes the performance and premieres at the Marimba Festival Filadelfia (IT), BEAST FEaST (UK), 6th Young Musicians’ Festival (PT), Festival Visiones Sonoras 2016 (MX), Audiokineza (PL), Aveiro Síntese Festival (PT), Reencontros da Música Contemporânea Festival (PT), Festival Vertixe Sonora, IV Prémio Nortear (PT&ES), Encontros Sonoros Atlânticos – Festival 2021 (PT), 2020 XXI International Cerveira Art Biennial (PT), Kulturfabrik – 33,7 Festival (LU), Música Viva Festival 2022 (PT).

Major distinctions include the appointment for Young Composer in Residence 2011 at Casa da Música (PT), representing Portugal at the 67th International Rostrum of Composers (RS), the Ibermúsicas Prize 2022 – Composition and Premiere category, selected work at the 2023 ISCM World Music Days in South Africa and winner of the 1st Alvaro García de Zúñiga International Lied Composition Competition.

Da Ponte’s music is published by Scherzo Editions, Arpejo Editora, MIC and Tot Per L’Aire and CD recording by Miso Records.

November 2024