The festival, promoted by the Ritornello Association, begins with the presentation of “Don Tabarano”, an opera by Hasse translated into Portuguese and directed by Angel Sampedro, on March 4 and 5, in the auditorium of the Coimbra Music Conservatory, said the organisation, in a press release sent to Lusa news agency.

Throughout the year, the first edition of the Music and Opera Festival features 15 concerts and shows, all with free entry and always at 6 pm, passing through, in addition to Coimbra, Conímbriga, Condeixa-a-Nova, Cantanhede, Cernache and Lagos, in an event promoted by the Ritornello Association, which has been working with opera and baroque music since 2013.

Free entry allows “democratising access to this type of music”, in addition to proposals that, “due to their diversity and musical scope”, also seek to “broaden the target audience”, the association’s board member, Jorge Silva, told Lusa, stating that both established classical works and contemporary compositions will be performed.

The festival, supported by the General Directorate of Arts, features Portuguese artists, also giving a stage to “several young musicians”, he highlighted.

Until December, there are several proposals within the program, such as a show by a string quartet accompanied by a visual artist, entitled “Painting Music”, violin and cello recitals, a concert around “The Four Seasons”, by Vivaldi, or “Requiem”, by Mozart.

The festival closes the year with a baroque music concert, in Cernache (Coimbra), directed by Clara Dias and António Ramos, where works by Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel and Bach will be performed.

In addition to the shows this year, the festival will also present a program for 2026 in the future, said Jorge Silva, hoping that it will be possible to ensure some regularity for the event.

The festival schedule can be found at www.facebook.com/AssociacaoRitornello