Alexandra Moura, soprano
Sérgio Nery, baritone
IMAGIN’ART String Quartet
Pedro Oliveira, violin I
Rúben Fangueiro, violin II
Emídio Ribeiro, viola
António José Oliveira, cello
Bach, J. S. (1685-1750) Air, from "Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068"
Monteverdi, C. (1567-1643) Pur ti miro, pur ti godo, from the opera "L'incoronazione di Poppea"
Haendel, G. F. (1685-1759) Ombra mai fu, from the opera "Xerxes"
Mozart, W. A. (1756-1791) Allegro, from “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, KV 525”
Mozart, W. A. (1756-1791) Laudate Dominum, from "Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, KV 339"
Bach, J. S. (1685-1750), Gounod, C. (1818-1893) and others - Ave Maria / I Believe
Shostakovich, D. (1906-1975) Waltz No. 2, from "Jazz Suite No. 2"
Offenbach, J. (1819-1880) Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour, from "The Tales of Hoffmann"
Bernstein, L. (1918-1990) Somewhere, from "West Side Story"
Webber, A. L. (1948- ) All I ask of you, from "The Phantom of the Opera"
In this concert, the soprano, Alexandra Moura, and the baritone, Sérgio Nery, accompanied by the IMAGIN’ART String Quartet present the most emblematic works of various periods in the History of Music, beginning with the Renaissance period, with Monteverdi, passing through the Baroque where Bach is one of the most distinguished representatives. Next, you will enjoy music from the classical era with Mozart’s masterpieces, as well as a passage through the romantic opera in the voice of two of the best Portuguese interpreters of this musical genre.
The concert also showcases works by Shostakovich and Webber as a representation of the twentieth century. Thus, the title D’ouro Recital is threefold justifiable – by the performers who are worth their weight in gold, by the spectacular gold interiors of the church venue, and not the least, by the magnificent Douro River on whose banks the event is hosted.
ALEXANDRA MOURA, soprano
Alexandra graduated in singing from the Superior School of Music, Porto, in the class of José de Oliveira Lopes. She continued studying in the Opera Studio of Casa da Música, Porto, where she received orientation from Peter Harrison, Jill Feldman and Jeff Cohen among others.
Alexandra won Best Interpretation of 20th Century Music in the Tomaz Alcaide International Singing Competition 2000 and an honorable mention award at Luísa Todi Singing Competition 2005.
Her varied concert activity has included Kurtág’s Vier Capriccios, Haddock's Eyes by David del Tredici, Cinque Frammenti di Saffo, among other works by L. Dallapicola; 4 Canzoni Popolari and O King by Luciano Berio; Stabat Mater by Haydn and Pergolesi; Stravinsky’s Pulcinella; Zemlinsky’s Maeterlinck Lieder; Vasco Mendonça’s Shadows Circles; Ligetti’s Aventures; Passion and Resurrection by Jonathan Harvey and Jorge Peixinho’s Viagem da Natural Invenção.
She has worked with conductors such as Martin André; Brad Cohen; Yoichi Sugiama; Pierre-André Valade; Aldo Brizzi; Nicola Giusti; Douglas Boyd; Emilio Pomárico; Paul Daniel, Christoph König; Peter Rundel; Baldur Brönnimann; Laurence Cummings; Danail Rachev; Sofi Jeannin; among others.
In opera she has played Vixen (Cunning Little Vixen - Janácek); Pamina/First Lady (Magic Flute - Mozart); Gretel/Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel - Humperdinck); Flora (The Turn of the Screw - Britten); Rowan/Juliet (The Little Sweep - Britten); Criside (Satyricon – B. Maderna); Bettina (L ́Amore Industrioso - J. Sousa Carvalho); Josabet (Joaz - B. Marcello); Strawberry Seller (Death in Venice – B. Britten); Rosa (Rapaz de Bronze – Nuno Corte-Real); Giannetta (L’Elixir d’Amore- G. Donizetti) and Mylia (Jerusalém– Vasco Mendonça).
Works regularly with various vocal or instrumental groups, including the Choir of Casa da Música.
SÉRGIO NERY, baritone
Born in Porto, Sérgio Nery began his vocal studies with Professor Dr. Mário Mateus, continuing his higher education under the guidance of Professor Fernanda Correia at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Gaia.
In the realm of Lieder, Oratorio and Opera, Sérgio has performed featuring works and roles from the specific baritone repertoire of several compores in prestigious halls, theatres and churches in Portugal.
Sérgio has attended masterclasses with Fernanda Correia, Fernando Corrêa de Oliveira, Mário Mateus, Jane Davidson, Charles Spenser, Enza Ferrari and Ettore Nova. He has collaborated with conductors including Manuel Ivo Cruz, Ferreira Lobo, Mário Mateus, Ferreira dos Santos, Filipe Veríssimo, Jairo Grossi, António Saiote, Artur Pinho, Lawrence Golan, and Marc Tardue, working with orchestras such as Sinenomine Orchestra, Gaia Philharmonic Orchestra, Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra do Norte, and Porto National Orchestra.
Porto’s Sao Francisco Church (Igreja de São Francisco), the city’s most important 14th century Gothic monument, is one of the most notable examples of Baroque architecture, boasting stunning gilded interiors dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
It was the exquisiteness of its gild carved woodwork that led Count Raczynskito describe it as the ‘Church of Gold’. Overwhelmed, he said: “The gild of this church is so beautiful and rich that it goes far beyond everything I have seen in Portugal and in the whole world”. This architectural treasure is a Portuguese National Monument since 1910 and a World Heritage-listed Site since 1996.