Invicta Viola
Concert
Sunday, 24th March, 5pm-5:30pm
Invicta Viola brings together viola students from the Greater Porto area to present a brief concert featuring our well-established Mass Viola Ensemble repertoire.
This initiative follows the model of Encontros de Viola d’arco, with ten Encontros having taken place over the last 18 years in various locations across Portugal. We hold the Guinness World Record for the largest Viola ensemble globally, achieved at the 42nd International Viola Congress in 2014 with over 400 participants. We have also shared our story at another International Viola Congress.
While conferences often emphasize more widely recognized instruments, we believe it’s fitting to showcase our well-known event within the international Viola community to the broader string family community during this conference in the city where it originated.
Since its inception, the pedagogical benefits of these ensemble events have been evident. As teachers, we observe the positive impact on our students, creating a unique identity, fostering pride, and establishing a sense of family through the connections made.
We aim to share our joy with ESTA delegates, highlighting our work in its purest form and emphasizing the spirit of Porto. “INVICTA” is a name that Porto proudly embraces, symbolizing a city that has never been defeated. We take great pride in our work here, and our Guinness World Record remains undefeated!
Program
Bio
Hazel Veitch, Susana Cordeiro, Beata Costa e Luís Norberto Silva, Viola
We are four teachers who comprise the Viola faculty at the Conservatório de Música do Porto.
Beata Costa
Originally from Poland, Beata has been residing and working in Portugal since 1998. She was a member of Orquestra do Norte, freelanced with Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and taught viola at the Conservatório de Música de Coimbra. Beata has been part of the Conservatório de Música do Porto faculty since 2011.
Hazel Veitch
Born in the UK, Hazel has been teaching and playing the viola in Porto since 1991. Apart from her role at the Conservatório, she is a member of the viola section in the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, a founding member of ESTA Portugal, and the Portuguese Viola Society, APVdA.
Luís Norberto
Teaching regularly since 1995, Luís has been part of the teaching staff at various schools. He initiated his musical studies in Espinho and completed them at ESMAE in Porto. In 1994, he received the First Prize in the VIII edition of the RDP Young Musicians Prize in the viola d’arco category. He serves as a viola player with the Porto Symphony Orchestra Casa da Música and is a board member of the APVdA – Portuguese Viola Association.
Susana Cordeiro
Susana began her musical journey studying the violin in Ponta Delgada, Azores, later transitioning to the viola and graduating from ESMAE in Porto. She was a member of the Orquestra Filarmónica das Beiras, Aveiro, and has been teaching at the Conservatório since 2009. Susana is a board member of APVdA (Portuguese Viola Society) and the Momentos Oblíquos Society, also serving as the production and musical coordinator of the ensemble Camerata Nov’Arte.
Together, we manage a cohesive Viola department, sharing our passion with approximately 50 students aged 6-18. In addition to our involvement in organizing well-known national Mass Viola Orchestra events (Encontros), we host an annual Viola Orchestra weekend within our school (Violafest). This time, we present Invicta Viola, collaborating with other teachers and students in the Greater Porto area. Viva Viola!
Luís Carvalho, Conductor
Maestro, composer, and clarinetist, Luís Carvalho stands out as one of the most versatile Portuguese musicians of his generation. He has performed in recitals and concerts all over the world, often premiering his own works and those of other contemporary composers. Awarded in various national and international competitions, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Aveiro and is the founder and artistic/musical director of Camerata Nov’Arte (Porto). He conducts leading orchestras both nationally and in other European countries, and his works are frequently performed in Europe and the Americas. He has contributed to about twenty albums from renowned labels and is a lecturer at the University of Aveiro.