Programme
Presentation - Inês Thomas Almeida
Giuseppe Verdi
Abertura orquestral (Nabucco)
“Va, pensiero” (Nabucco) – Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat
Pietro Mascagni
"Voi lo sapete, o mamma" (Cavalleria Rusticana) – Rita Coelho
Intermezzo orquestral (Cavalleria Rusticana)
Presentation - Inês Thomas Almeida
Giacomo Puccini
“Recondita armonia” (Tosca) – John Pumphrey
“Mario! Mario! Mario!” (Tosca) – John Pumphrey & Sílvia Sequeira
“Vissi d’arte” (Tosca) – Sílvia Sequeira
“E lucevan le stelle” (Tosca) – John Pumphrey
“Tre sbirri, una carrozza… Te Deum” (Tosca) – Sergei Leiferkus & Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat
Orchestral Intermezzo – G. Puccini – Suor Angelica (Intermezzo)
Sílvia Sequeira
Soprano
Portuguese soprano Sílvia Sequeira is one of the most compelling dramatic voices of her generation, distinguished by her remarkable vocal power and profound stage presence. Her recent career has been marked by a meteoric rise on the international stage and the acquisition of some of the most prestigious awards in the operatic world.
In 2024, she established herself as a formidable talent at the Tenor Viñas Contest (Barcelona), where she was awarded 3rd Prize, the Wagner Prize, and the Audience Prize. In the same year, she won 1st Prize and the Audience Prize at the Cascais Opera Competition. Her extensive list of accolades also includes the “Klara” Audience Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium), alongside major distinctions at the Ebe Stignani, Vincerò, and International Vocal Competition (IVC).
On the operatic stage, recent highlights include her acclaimed performance in the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, and as Anna in Le Villi during a successful tour of the Netherlands with OperaZuid. She made her debut at the Dutch National Opera as Anna Kennedy (Maria Stuarda) and performed the role of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at the Óbidos Opera Festival. In 2021, she appeared as Micaëla (Carmen) in Weikersheim, Germany, under the direction of Elijah Grandy.
As a concert soloist, her repertoire encompasses large-scale works such as Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Das Klagende Lied and Britten’s War Requiem, having performed in leading venues across Europe, China, and Macau. Sílvia Sequeira began her international journey in 2019 with her debut in Mascagni’s Zanetto at the Maastricht Conservatory.
Rita Coelho
Mezzo-soprano
Rita Coelho is a Portuguese mezzo-soprano. She began her musical studies at the National Conservatoire Musical School and later completed her degree in Voice at the University of Aveiro. She further developed her skills by participating in masterclasses with Lúcia Lemos, Alexandra Bernardo, Orlanda Velez Isidro, David Santos, Jill Feldman, Ulrike Sonntag, João Paulo Santos, Helen Lawson, Brian MacKay, Pierre Mak, and Anna Samuil.
Rita has also performed in several opera roles including the Second Witch in Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, La Maestra delle Novizie and La Suora Infermiera in Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini, Mrs. Nolan in The Medium by Gian Carlo Menotti, and Mercedes in Carmen by Georges Bizet.
Rita also gained recognition by winning the second edition of the Cascais Opera – International Vocal Competition held in 2025, an important milestone in her career.
Since 2021, she has been a member of the Chorus of São Carlos National Theatre.
John Pumphrey
Tenor
Born in Scotland, John Pumphrey studied singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Before this, he took a degree in modern languages from Oxford University and worked as a school teacher for several years, teaching Russian, German, and French. After completing a diploma at the Flanders Opera Studio in Belgium, he began his operatic career in France at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, where he sang roles such as Ernesto in Don Pasquale, working with well-known stage directors such as Robert Carson and Mariam Clément. His career then took him to Germany, where he worked for a number of years as a soloist in the ensembles at the Theater Plauen-Zwickau in Saxony, and the Staatstheater Nürnberg, as well as being invited to perform as a guest artist in other German theatres and festivals, including the Theater Regensburg, the Munich Biennale, and the Dresden Semperoper. In Germany, he sang roles such as Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, as well as Orfeo in Monteverdi’s Orfeo, working with well-known conductors such as Joana Mallwitz and stage directors such as Daniel Herzog. Since 2016, John has been working regularly in masterclasses with Sergei Leiferkus. Currently, he is a member of the solo ensemble at the Music Theatre of the Republic of Karelia, where his roles include Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Also coming up is a new production of Puccini’s Tosca, where John is scheduled to sing the role of Cavaradossi.
Convidado especial: Sergei Leiferkus
Barítono
Baritone Sergei Leiferkus is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished artists on the international opera scene. His remarkable ability to convey both nobility and villainy has made him renowned for roles such as Scarpia (Tosca), Iago (Otello), Rangoni (Boris Godunov), Telramund (Lohengrin), and Alberich (Der Ring des Nibelungen). He has appeared on the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Royal Opera House, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Opéra Bastille, as well as at leading festivals such as Salzburg, Glyndebourne, and Edinburgh.
His extensive repertoire includes around 50 roles, among them Eugene Onegin, Nabucco, Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra, Don Giovanni, and Parsifal, with a special emphasis on Russian music from the 19th and 20th centuries. Recent additions to his repertoire include Berg’s Lulu, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and contemporary works by Peter Eötvös and Alexander Raskatov. In concert, he has performed with leading orchestras and conductors such as Abbado, Gergiev, Levine, Mehta, and Muti, and is particularly celebrated for Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13. He is currently Artistic Director of Cascais Opera – International Vocal Competition, alongside pianist Adriano Jordão.
OCCO - Orquestra de Câmara de Cascais e Oeiras
The Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra (OCCO) was founded in 1999. Supported by the Portuguese Directorate-General for the Arts and the Municipalities of Cascais and Oeiras, it has established itself as a cornerstone of the cultural agenda of both municipalities.
Regarded as one of the most distinguished chamber orchestras in Portugal, OCCO has developed an intense artistic activity both nationally and internationally. Highlights include its participation in the General Assembly of the European Festivals Association, held in Estoril, as well as appearances at festivals in Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
Each year, OCCO presents a substantial concert season comprising symphonic concerts, chamber music recitals, and educational and community-oriented performances in Cascais and Oeiras. These are complemented by engagements throughout Portugal and abroad, in collaboration with renowned national and international solo artists.
In 2008, OCCO founded the first Conservatory of Music in the municipality of Cascais, officially recognized by the Portuguese Ministry of Education. From 2014 onwards, it began promoting international gatherings for young instrumentalists and created a Conducting Academy, bringing together emerging conductors of various nationalities, with the aim of strengthening its international presence. OCCO also maintains a collaboration protocol with the National Competition “Prémio Jovens Músicos” of RDP – Rádio Difusão Portuguesa.
In 2015, with the support of the Municipality of Cascais, the Cascais Sinfónica project was launched, broadening the region’s musical offering. Since 2019, OCCO has organized the “Entre Quintas” Festival in partnership with Casa Cadaval and Quinta de Casal Branco.
In 2012, the Municipality of Cascais awarded OCCO the Cultural Merit Medal in recognition of its contribution to culture and the arts. In 2019, it was granted the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic.
OCCO was founded by Maestro Nikolay Lalov, who continues to serve as its Artistic Director.
Nikolay Lalov
Maestro
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria. Graduated from the National Music School “L. Pipkov”, awarded with a gold medal for his outstanding academic achievements. He received his diploma from the National Academy of Bulgaria as a violinist and later completed the orchestra conducting course at the same institution. He became the youngest violin professor to work at the prestigious music school in Bulgaria: the National School “L. Pipkov”. Has been residing in Portugal since 1989.
As a violinist and conductor, N. Lalov has recorded for the Bulgarian National Radio and the Portuguese Broadcasting Corporation. He has performed and conducted orchestras in many European countries and in the USA. He was awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit (Oeiras 2003) and received Diplomas from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture of Bulgaria (2003 and 2017). In 2004, he was appointed Corresponding Academician of the Valencia Academy of Music. In 2009, he was named “Professional of the Year” by the Rotary Club Cascais, and in 2017, he was honored with the title of “Honorary Member of the Rotary Club–Oeiras”.
Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat
The Lisbon Cantat Symphonic Choir, founded in 1977, is one of Portugal’s leading choral ensembles. Comprising around 80 singers and under the artistic direction of Jorge Carvalho Alves since 1986, it is renowned for the versatility of its repertoire and the excellence of its performances.
Over the years, it has collaborated with Portugal’s foremost orchestras as well as distinguished international ensembles, performing in the country’s most prestigious concert halls. Its extensive repertoire spans major symphonic-choral works, opera, contemporary music, and a cappella repertoire, with a particular commitment to promoting and championing Portuguese music.
Concerto apresentado pela musicóloga Inês Thomas Almeida
Inês Thomas Almeida holds a PhD in Historical Musicology from NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA) and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the same institution. In 2025, she was FLAD/Saab Visiting Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA, and in 2026 she will be Visiting Professor at the Institute of Musicology of the University of Münster, Germany.
She is the creator and lecturer of the course *_Women Composers: History of Female Composition from Middle Ages to the 21st Century_* at the NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities. She is also a Visiting Professor in the PhD in Gender Studies (NOVA FCSH / ISCSP-UL / NOVA School of Law).
She is a researcher at the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance (INET-md) at NOVA FCSH and Co-Coordinator of the Thematic Research Line in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her research project _FEMUS 18 – Spaces and Profiles of Women *making* Music in 18th-Century Portugal_ is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for 2024–2030. She is also Science Communication Coordinator of the COST Action _Print Culture and Public Spheres in Central Europe (1500–1800)_, funded by the European Union for 2024–2028 and involving 203 researchers from 36 countries.
Her research areas in historical musicology focus on 18th-century music, travel accounts, women in music, early ballad traditions, Lusophone and postcolonial studies, and transnational cultural networks.
She was *Deputy* Curator of the commemorative exhibition dedicated to Madalena de Azeredo Perdigão at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and co-author, with Rui Vieira Nery, of the book _Let’s Take Risks: Selected Texts by Madalena de Azeredo Perdigão_ (Tinta-da-China, 2023).
She has published widely in specialized journals and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences. She has been invited to give lectures at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and at Harvard, Yale, Brown, Madrid, and Vienna universities.
She was included by CIG – Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality in the _Women for Equality_ list, which recognizes women in science, politics, culture, and activism.
Encenação: Henrique Gomes e Felipe Toledo
Nikolay Lalov - Maestro
The Cascais Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra that was initiated in 2015 with the aim of enriching the musical offering of Cascais. Leveraging on the structure of the Cascais and Oeiras Chamber Orchestra (OCCO), a season of 4 to 6 concerts per year was started with the support of the Câmara Municipal de Cascais and the Cascais Music Conservatory. The Cascais Symphony Orchestra comprises permanent musicians from the OCCO, teachers from the Cascais Music Conservatory, and young instrumentalists selected through public auditions.
The symphonic concerts, featuring an interesting repertoire and guest soloists, quickly became a reference for the public of Cascais and the entire region, who enthusiastically embraced them. Performances held at the Senhora da Boa Nova Auditorium and participation in the Festas do Mar festival confirmed this with an impressive number of audiences of all ages.
Since its debut, the Cascais Symphony Orchestra has performed with internationally renowned soloists such as Artur Pizzaro, Rinaldo Zhok, Diego Cavazzin, Daniela Banasova, Douglas Nasrawi, Romain Garioud, as well as with some of the greatest national and international promising artists such as Vasco Dantas, Cristiana Oliveira, Anna Paulová, Lilia Donkova, Anastasia Kobekina and Sofia Vasheruk. The Cascais Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Maestro Richard Rosenberg.
The Cascais Symphony Orchestra is currently led by conductor Nikolay Lalov, its Artistic Director.
Orquestra Sinfónica de Cascais
Cascais Ópera is an international opera vocal competition that has established itself as a space of excellence for the new generation of opera singers. Created with the aim of discovering, supporting, and promoting young talent, the competition offers a unique opportunity for emerging artists to perform before a prestigious international jury, gaining visibility and recognition in the world of opera.
Since its inaugural edition in 2024, Cascais Ópera has grown consistently, attracting hundreds of candidates from around the world and consolidating itself as a reference event on the international operatic scene. A focus on the internationalization of singers, artistic excellence, and the creation of bridges between cultures and continents has been a central pillar of its development.
The educational component is also of growing importance, materializing in free masterclasses for contestants and personalized feedback from jury members, alongside other initiatives that foster learning and artistic growth.
