In 2025, Évora Music Association, “Eboræ Mvsica”, celebrates its 38th anniversary, and the 27th annual international meeting entitled “Évora Cathedral School of Music” that will be held in October. The 10th “José Augusto Alegria Contest” for young musicians from Portugal and abroad will also be held this year. It’s guiding light and patron is Canon José Augusto Alegria, who bequeathed to us an important range of works based on the study and research of various aspects of the “Évora Cathedral School of Music”, mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The contest includes different musical categories, in 2025 Song and Clarinet.
The objectives of the contest include:
• fostering the study of music and encouraging excellence of performance;
• developing musical taste;
• promoting the exchange of learning;
• paying tribute to the patron of the contest, Canon José Augusto Alegria, and making his name known.
REGULATIONS
1 – Rules of entry:
SONG
1 – Music students and young professional musicians beginning their careers, who are at least 18 years and not over 32 years of age on 1st August 2025, may take part in the contest.
CLARINET
1 – Music students and young professional musicians beginning their careers, who are:
· Level 1 – aged 15 years or less on 1st August 2025;
· Level 2 – aged 18 years or less on 1st August 2025;
· Level 3 – aged 25 years or less on 1st August 2025;
2 – Competition:
a) SONG
1st Stage – First round
The names of first round qualifiers will be announced at the end of the first round.
2nd Stage – Semi-final
Maximum six entrants will qualify for the final round. The names of qualifiers will be announced at the end of the semi-final.
3rd Stage – Final. The names of winners will be announced at the end of the Final.
Repertoire:
Pieces may not be repeated at different stages of the contest.
First round:
− one lied or melodie;
− one opera aria from the 18th or 19th century.
Semi-final:
− one erudite song in Portuguese by a Portuguese composer;
− one piece freely chosen;
− one opera aria or oratorio (or cantata or motet) freely chosen.
Pieces should be presented in at least 3 (three) different languages and may be presented in any order.
Final:
− one erudite song in Portuguese by a Portuguese composer;
− one Lied or Melodie;
− one opera aria, freely chosen.
Pieces should be presented in at least three different languages and may be presented in any order.
b) CLARINET
Level 1 (until 15 years old):
Fist Round:
– Chant Slave – Joseph Edouard Barat;
Winners’ names will be announced at the end of the first round.
Final:
– Concert for clarinet n. 3 in B flat Major, I. Allegro moderato – Carl Stamitz;
– Five Pieces for Clarinet Solo , I.º Preamble – Gordon Jacob;
Level 2 (until 18 years old):
First Round:
– Solo de Concours Op. 10 for Clarinet and Piano – Henri Rabaud;
Winners’ names will be announced at the end of the first round.
Final:
– Concertino Op. 26 for Clarinet- Carl Maria von Weber;
– Monolog n. 3 for Solo Clarinet , I. Andante sostenuto – Erland von Koch;
Level 3 (until 25 years old):
First Round:
– Solo de Concours for Clarinet and Piano – André Messager;
Winners’ names will be announced at the end of the first round.
Final:
– Concert for Clarinet n. 1 in F minor Op. 73, I.st Allegro moderato – Carl Maria von Weber;
– Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet – Igor Stravinsky;
3 – Entrants must present themselves at the contest and rehearsals, with or without pianist, in the established order, to be decided by lottery. All entrants must attend the lottery, to be held at the Convento dos Remédios in Évora:
· on 18th July 2025 at 8h30am – Clarinet;
· on 18th July 2025 at 9h00am – Song;
Entrants who are unable to attend may be represented by an accredited representative.
· 3.1. The order established by the lottery cannot be changed.
· 3.2. Entrants who do not present themselves at the contest in the established order will be eliminated from the contest.
4 – At each stage of the Song contest, each entrant should present their repertoire without interruption, in the chosen order, and pieces must be played from memory (except for the Oratorium or Cantata aria).
5 – The Jury may deem it necessary to interrupt entrants’s performances at any time or exempt entrants from performing one or more pieces.
6 – Entrants may be accompanied by a pianist supplied by the contest organisers, or alternatively, entrants may supply their own piano
accompaniment, and they thereby accept liability for the cost of travel, board and accommodation for their accompanying pianist.
7 – The semi-final and final (Song) and final (Clarinet) are open to the general public and will take place at the venues detailed below.
8 – In the final, the Jury reserves the right to withhold any prize if it considers that the required standard of performance has not been met.
9 – All entrants who are eliminated from the contest will receive a participation certificate.
10 – All prize-winners will receive a certificate.
11 – The decisions of the Jury are final, and there is no appeal.
12 – Prize-winners’ concert and award ceremony: all prize-winners must perform at the prize-winners’ concert (those who do not perform will forfeit their certificate and prize); the concert repertoire should include one or two pieces, freely chosen, from among those performed during the contest.
13 – Entry fees are not refundable for any reason.
14 – Entrants are liable for the cost of travel and accommodation.
15 – The contest organisers reserve the right to record, photograph and film performances and use recordings and images for the purposes of radio and television broadcast, newspaper articles, electronic platforms, social media and other purposes; entrants agree to forfeit all rights over such recordings and images.
16 – The minimum number of participants in every stage in Clarinet contest is two.
17 – On signing the entry form, entrants agree to be bound by the contest regulation.
18 – Contest and prize-winners’ concert calendar and venues:
(the schedule can change according to the participant’s numbers)
a) SONG
First round
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 18, 3:00pm ;
Semi final
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 19, 3:00pm ;
Final
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 20, 3:00pm ;
b) CLARINET
First round
Level 1
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 18, 11:00am ;
Level 2
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 18, 6:30pm ;
Level 3
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 19, 9:00am ;
Final
Level 1
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 19, 5:00 pm;
Level 2
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 20, 9:00 am;
Level 3
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 20, 11:30 am;
c) PRIZE-WINNERS’ CONCERT
Évora, Évora Region Conservatory – Eboræ Musica, Convento dos Remédios – July 20, 9:00 pm
19 – Entry:
To enter the contest participants should send us your completed entry forms, accompanied by the documents detailed below, and the proof of the payment to the address indicated below, to be received until July 11th:
– Completed entry form, on eboraemusica.pt (at the entrance for the lottery identification document must be shown (identity card or passport);
– Curriculum vitae;
– One list of the repertoire for each stage of the contest (with name of composer and work);
– Two legible copies of scores for pieces included in the repertoire at each stage of the contest (Song and Clarinet);
– Two photos;
– Fee: 30 euro (payment by bank transfer to Caixa Geral de Depósitos bank account no. 029700036507230 IBAN PT50 0035 0297 00036507230 76
Address:
Eboræ Musica
Apartado 2126
7001-901 Évora
Portugal
Email: eboraemusica@gmail.com
If the participants prefer, it is possible to fill the form on the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18DV7ykC3AOjF29SSPDbmg4VL1G-BKSb6DGp0ucCWnso/
Then the participants should send all the documents to eboraemuscia@gmail.com , and mention that this form is already filled out.
20 – Prizes:
Song
· 1st Prize – 1.000 euro + one concert in the 27th series of Concerts “Music and other forms of Art in the Cloister”, Évora, 2026;
· 2nd Prize – 750 euro + Teaching material;
· 3rd Prize – 550 euro + Teaching material;
· Prize for best performance of Portuguese Song – 500 euro + Teaching material
Clarinet
Level 1
· 1st prize – 400 euro + Teaching material;
· 2nd prize – 200 euro + Teaching material;
· 3rd Prize – Honourable mention + Teaching material;
Level 2
· 1st prize – 500 euro + Teaching material;
· 2nd prize – 300 euro + Teaching material;
· 3rd Prize – Honourable mention + Teaching material;
Level 3
· 1st prize – 1.000 euro + one concert in the 27th series of Concerts “Music and Other forms of Art in the Cloister”, Évora, 2026;
· 2nd Prize – 500 euro + Teaching material;
· 3rd Prize – Honourable mention + Teaching material;
21 – Jurors:
a) SONG:
Chair: Benoît Gibson
Member: Liliana Bizineche
Member: Sandra Medeiros
b)
CLARINET:
Chair: Benoît Gibson
Member: Luís Gomes
Member: Mário Vinagre
22 – Piano accompaniment – Yan Mikirtumov
