ARS AD HOC
Plays György Kurtág, Jonathan Harvey, Salvatore Sciarrin, Helmut Lachenmann, Natacha Diels, Mark Andre, Inés Badalo
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The ninth season of ars ad hoc is shaped by the music of Sicilian composer Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947) and by the world premieres of works by Portuguese composers.Exploring the boundaries of timbre and silence, as well as the bow’s infinite expressive possibilities, this opening concert takes us on a journey through the distinctive sensibilities of twentieth- and twenty-first-century music. György Kurtág’s (b. 1926) miniature ‘Doloroso’ [1992] is set against the energetic ‘Little Duo’ [2010] by Jonathan Harvey (1939–2012), in which the two instruments imitate one another as their registers intertwine. This leads into Sciarrino’s ‘Malinconia’ [1980], another duo in which sound dissolves into a poetics of micro-textures and expressive fragility.The radical exploration of the physical and acoustic possibilities of string instruments comes to the fore in Helmut Lachenmann’s (b. 1935) seminal ‘Pression’ [1969], as well as in the performative and theatrical dimensions of Natacha Diels’ (b. 1981) ‘2.5 Nightmares, for Jessie’ [2015]. In turn, the reflective monumentality of Mark Andre’s (b. 1964) ‘iv 8’ [2009/10] deepens the listening experience through a sound architecture of remarkable spiritual density.The programme culminates in the world premiere of ‘Rust II’ [2026], for string trio, by Portuguese-Spanish composer Inés Badalo — a joint commission by Arte no Tempo and MPMP Património Musical Vivo, supported by the Direção-Geral das Artes and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. The premiere reaffirms ars ad hoc’s enduring commitment to new music and musical creation.
PROGRAMME
György Kurtág (Lugoj, 1926)‘Doloroso (No. 14 from Jelek, játékok és üzenetek)’ [1992] ca. 2'for solo viola
Jonathan Harvey (1939–2012)‘Little Duo’ [2010] 2'for violin and cello
Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947)‘Malinconia’ [1980] ca. 4'for violin and viola
Helmut Lachenmann (b. 1935)‘Pression’ [1969/2010] ca. 8'for solo cello
Natacha Diels (b. 1981)‘2.5 Nightmares, for Jessie’ [2015] 10'for cellist and two assistants
Mark Andre (b. 1964)‘iv 8’ [2009–2010] 17'for string trio
Inés Badalo (b. 1989)‘Rust II’ [2026]* ca. 12'for string trio
World Premiere
A joint commission by Arte no Tempo and MPMP Património Musical Vivo, funded by the Direção-Geral das Artes and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.
Performers
Diogo Coelho — violin
Francisco Lourenço — viola
Gonçalo Lélis — cello
Diana Ferreira — programming
Arte no Tempo — production
Arte no Tempo is an organisation funded by the Portuguese Republic — Culture, Youth and Sport / Direção-Geral das Artes.ars ad hoc is a project supported by Banco BPI and the “la Caixa” Foundation. From 2026 onwards, its concert series at the Serralves Foundation will also be supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.
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Started in 2018, ars ad hoc is Arte no Tempo’s chamber music project. From 2021 onwards, contemporary music has taken on greater prominence in the group’s regular work; the ensemble has been developing its artistic residencies and holding regular concerts at the Serralves Foundation, in addition to other performances in which it combines the performance of contemporary music with works from the great classical, Romantic and modernist repertoire. Programmed by Diana Ferreira, ars ad hoc comprises a core group of versatile musicians who, having made a name for themselves in Portugal, went on to further their studies abroad. Its main activity is a mini-season of three programmes consisting exclusively of contemporary music, presented at the Serralves Foundation (Porto) and supported by the Ernst von Siemens Foundation. In addition, the ensemble participates in the Arte no Tempo biennials and various national festivals, as well as performing ‘classical vs contemporary’ programmes in different locations, with the support of Banco BPI | Fundação ‘la Caixa’. It also holds commented concerts for mainstream schools in the Aveiro region, as part of Arte no Tempo’s ‘growing up with music’ programme. ars ad hoc focuses on performing new music for various ensembles, with and without electronics, performing and premiering works by Portuguese and international composers, working whenever possible in direct collaboration with the composers, who sometimes write music specifically for this group. Rather than seeking to premiere a large number of scores by various composers, ars ad hoc is, however, concerned with deepening its interpretation of different works, offering different interpretations of them over time.
Arte no Tempo is funded by the Portuguese Republic – Culture / Directorate-General for the Arts. ars ad hoc is supported by Banco BPI | “la Caixa” Foundation and the Ernst von Siemens Foundation. Ricardo Carvalho (flute) | Horácio Ferreira (clarinet) | Diogo Coelho and Matilde Loureiro (violin) | Ricardo Gaspar and Francisco Lourenço (viola) | Gonçalo Lélis (cello) | João Casimiro Almeida (piano)