"Os Antepassados" is a new musical work for bassoon and concert band that is rooted in family history. It is inspired by my avos’ lives in Boticas and Lisboa and by the musical legacy of my father, tia and tios from their band, Os 4 Rosas. Each movement will represent one of my ancestors: Antonio I, Antonio II, Hilda, Judite, Daniel, and George. The resulting music is a love letter to each individual’s impact on my life as a musician and aims to capture their unique spirit.
I am honored to have been accepted to the HANGAR Artist Residency in Lisbon, Portugal in early 2027 to write and realize this work authentically in the place where my avo Hilda spent a large portion of her life. The purpose of this residency is to research, reconnect with my family in the Lisbon area, and to write music from a more authentic Portuguese cultural perspective and influence. I intend to research both fado music and the Portuguese Banda Filharmonica tradition in order to more authentically orchestrate and complete the larger iteration of the work while I am in Lisbon.
During and after the residency, multiple iterations of this work will be presented to the public in an effort to combine the musical influences of Portugal and the United States through engagement with the question "What have our ancestors given us the strength to become?".
This project also offers the opportunity for audiences to learn about music history, Portuguese-American culture, and the musical capabilities of solo bassoon with concert band, and can be presented in adaptable parts depending on the needs of the ensemble, audience, venue, and soloist. The fully realized work will be a multimedia production for solo bassoon and concert band with accompanying original artwork.
It is my mission to write a work for bassoon and concert band that is as entertaining, informative, and exciting to hear and learn about as it is to perform. Your support of this project allows me to make the most of my time in Lisbon through my residency, where I will research for, write and present the first iteration of this work. Your support will also directly impact the scope of this project, as I look to partner with concert bands in the United States and Portugal to perform full productions of Os Antepassados. Thank you in advance for your interest and support, and I look forward to sharing this piece with you in the future.