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

Biography (125 words)

Ângela da Ponte (1984/ Azores) is a composer, professor and researcher currently living in Porto (Portugal). 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 BEAST FEaST (UK), Festival Visiones Sonoras 2016 (MX), Audiokineza (PL), 2020 XXI International Cerveira Art Biennial (PT), Kulturfabrik – 33,7 Festival (LU), Música Viva Festival 2022 (PT) and major distinctions include the appointment for Young Composer in Residence 2011 at Casa da Música (Oporto), ISCM Virtual Collaborative Series 2020, representing Portugal at the 67th International Rostrum of Composers (RS) and the Ibermúsicas Prize 2022 for the Composition and Premiere category.

January 2023

Detailed biography

Holding a PhD by the University of Birmingham (UK), Ângela (1984/ Azores) is a composer, professor and researcher currently living in Porto (Portugal). 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 focussed 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 post-graduation 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). More recently, 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), 6^th 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 Biennial of Cerveira Art (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 (Oporto), Composer in Residence at the International Percussion Competition – Gondomar 2018 and 2022 (PT), ISCM Virtual Collaborative Series 2020, representing Portugal at the 67th International Rostrum of Composers (RS) and the Ibermúsicas Prize 2022 for the Composition and Premiere category.

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

January 2023