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), 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), 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), the Ibermúsicas Prize 2022 – Composition and Premiere category and selected work at the 2023 ISCM World Music Days in South Africa.
Website: www.angeladaponte.com
WORKS
Circus | percussions
Mechanical Flames | sop.saxophone, tuba & 2pianos
Reflex II | bass clarinet & electronics
Reflex II | bassoon & electronics
Et in terra pax | choir
Torneando | horn
Segredos ao Vento | violin & marimba
Havana Club | guitar
Havana Club | vibraphone (now sold by Arpejo Editora)
La Mer Soulevée | orchestra
Macrophylla I | string orchestra & electronics
Pudim Flam | snare drum (now sold by Arpejo Editora)
aLínea | marimba
L’opera per Salvatore | percussion
O Oráculo de Delfos | flute&electronics
Album Fricções | flute&electronics
Step by Step | percussion ensemble, fixed media & video