Lira Açoriana Project opens application period to auditions for 2017/2018 biennium
The application period to auditions for the 2017/2018 biennium under the Lira Açoriana Project, an initiative of the Regional Directorate for Culture, runs until January 15.
The auditions for this project will take place on each island between January 25 and 27 and between January 30 and February 4. The registration form is available on the Regional Government Portal at http://www.azores.gov.pt/Portal/pt/entidades/srec-drcultura/.
The Lira Açoriana Project resumed its activity in 2015 with the organisation of two workshops on Terceira and Flores. This year, it carried out workshops on Graciosa and São Miguel.
This project is mainly focused on the training component and, as such, the artistic direction of the orchestra and its composition are reformulated every two years.
Every two years, the Regional Directorate for Culture invites a maestro from outside the Region with the aim of promoting contact between different realities.
In the 2015/2016 biennium, maestro Henrique Piloto was in charge of conducting the orchestra, while maestro Alberto Roque will be the maestro for the 2017/2018 biennium.
The number of participants in the Lira Açoriana Project varies in accordance with the decision of the maestro responsible for the orchestra's artistic direction, ranging from 40 to 70 members. They are chosen through a selection process in the different islands under the coordination of the maestro.
Each orchestra section (flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba and percussion) includes the presence of a teacher who will teach and conduct rehearsals. Furthermore, teachers will also play in the orchestra.
In addition to actively participating in the orchestra, they will also guide training sessions for musicians on the islands where workshops are being held.
Teachers are invited for an identical period to that of the maestro. They will also be in charge of guiding the rehearsals of each section with the musicians participating in the Lira Açoriana Project, work on technical issues and promote ensemble work within each section of the orchestra.
Furthermore, they will also play with the Lira Açoriana Regional Orchestra as heads of each orchestra section and provide advice to the maestro on technical matters, such as the performance of solo parts.
They should also conduct training sessions that will be open to the community in general, subject to previous registration, and perform solo works with the orchestra, whenever the maestro finds appropriate.
All workshops include training activities taught by the teachers participating in the Lira Açoriana Project. They are intended to promote the local development of music and the contact of musicians with accredited teachers.
These training activities include a maximum of 12 participants per section (120 participants), who are chosen by order of registration and are not subject to the payment of a participation fee. They will not be part of the orchestra, although some participants may be invited by the maestro to perform in the final concert.
The project aims to establish itself as a development and evolution opportunity for musicians. In this context, the participant in the Lira Açoriana Project that stands out the most during the four workshops held in each biennial edition will be awarded a prize.
The award includes the participation in a short workshop to be organised in Portugal or abroad, with all expenses included. The winner will work with a teacher to be chosen by the head of section, the maestro and the managing entity.
The prize will be delivered to the student who not only stands out at an artistic level, but also who shows good social behaviour and cooperation with the remaining members of the group.
The decision to award the prize will be up to the maestro, the head sections and the managing entity. The continuous assessment should start from the first day of the workshop.
The prize will not be delivered if there is no participant considered worthy of being awarded and distinguished.
The prize will be delivered at the final concert of the fourth and last workshop; the latter will take place over the following year.