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INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COURSES ASSOCIATION
“CASA DA BARBACAM” (ACIM)
The International Music Courses Association - Casa da Barbacam - (ACIM), was founded in 1996 as a non-profit association based in Óbidos.
Its long term objective is to create in Portugal, a nucleus of artistic-cultural activities of international standard. Special emphasis is put on the continuity and the quality of its initiatives, underlining the importance of the international input in the vocational training of young musicians.
At a local level, ACIM plays an important role both in the cultural and the touristic development of the Western Region of Portugal. Among various cultural activities ACIM has promoted since 1996 the International Piano Masterclasses and Festival of
Óbidos (SIPO – Semana Internacional de Piano de Óbidos).
In 2005, the Óbidos municipality unanimously decided to awarded ACIM with the Medal of Municipal Merit for conducting SIPO, for its high cultural value and for the impact this event has had on the image and development of that municipality.
The major purpose of SIPO is to bring together in Portugal, in the unique historical scenery of the medieval town of
Óbidos, musicians of international reputation and young music students
Therefore, SIPO is today one of the most highly regarded musical events in our country, with ample repercussions internationally.
Aiming at matching high professional standards, the Masterclasses are open to professional level students, music teachers as well as pianists at the beginning of their career who wish to work with great personalities from the world of music on a high pedagogical and artistic level.
By promoting an exceptional and demanding artistic and cultural exchange, SIPO aims at establishing contacts and developing the professional level of participants. This way, SIPO enables
Portuguese students to have professional contact with highly regarded musicians with close ties to the
teaching of the piano, without having to leave their own country.
SIPO is promoted and organised by ACIM, supported by the Municipality of Óbidos, the Portuguese Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education.
International Piano Week of Óbidos - SIPO
The first SIPO took place in August 1996.
Over the years, without interruption, SIPO has received in Óbidos great musicians and young students coming from around the whole world for a meeting with the
Portuguese students. The goal of these meetings is to perfect the musical knowledge of all participants through a stimulating and intense work with great masters. The charming environment and warm welcome of the town of Óbidos has greatly contributed to the success of this event.
For twelve days, piano music completely fills the medieval borough of Óbidos: both through the Masterclasses, which take place during the day in numerous places, as well as through the night concerts that are part of the festival, which
attract a music-loving and enthusiastic audience. Throughout its years of activity, SIPO has managed to create a new audience made up of all kinds of age and social groups in a region otherwise poor of cultural events of this nature.
Masterclasses
Due to its pedagogical structure, this event is considered unique in Portugal since a group of internationally acclaimed pianists, eventually supported by an assisting
teacher, make up the pedagogic nucleus throughout the SIPO event.
For twelve days, the people that constitute that nucleus dedicate themselves to
teaching the students, which participate in every course since they are allowed to attend practice sessions with more than one teacher. This way, it is hoped that students can obtain the maximum pedagogical return due to the diverse teaching methods of each master-teacher they can observe.
The courses, opened to every participant, work in a
rotating system since, for logistic reasons, the number of participants is limited to forty, which allows for a greatly effective learning experience. These meetings, due to their pedagogic quality and diversity, have largely contributed to the professional development of Portuguese young musicians who participate, in ever growing numbers.
The courses are likewise opened to the public and take place simultaneously in three locations (Auditório Municipal da Casa da Música, Casa da Barbacam, Auditório de S Tiago).
At the end of the courses the participants obtain a participation diploma, which are of particular importance for their curricula considering SIPO has been recognized by the Scientific and Pedagogical Council for Continual Training, giving it relevance for their career progression as music teachers.
In 2004, the "Prémio Maria de Lurdes Avellar" was awarded for the first time in the history of SIPO. This is an award established by the Avellar family, resident in Óbidos.
The creation of this award for young people related to the musical activities that happen each year in Óbidos within SIPO is a tribute to the memory of D. Maria de Lurdes Avellar and at the same time it promotes the professional emancipation of the young musicians.
This award is given by the audiences and teachers of the Masterclasses to the students that stand out during the participant's concerts.
Piano Festival
Together with the courses described above, there is a Music Festival with a number of concerts/recitals at the Auditório Municipal da Casa da Música, which are
renowned for their high artistic quality.
All the master pianists, some internationally acclaimed artists invited specifically for the Festival and selected masterclass participants participate in these concerts, which bring to Óbidos great music-loving and knowledgeable audiences.
This initiative has greatly contributed to the cultural dynamism of the Western Region as well as to the national and international recognition of Óbidos.
The Festival's programme, encompassing several centuries of music, with
emphasis on Portuguese composers and interpreters, invites the audience to share
unforgettable moments of music.
Both the Masterclass participants as well as the gathering of enthusiastic audience are proof of the cultural interest of this project, which has involved representatives from numerous countries besides Portugal. Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Check Republic, Chile, China, South
Korea, Denmark, Spain, USA, France, England, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland,
Romania, Russia, Sweden and the Ukraine.
To date, SIPO has had the pleasure of welcoming the following
renowned music personalities:
Art Exibit
Since the year 2000 ACIM has been regularly organizing plastic arts exibits at the Pavilhão da Casa da Barbacam, integrated into SIPO with the goal of divulging the work of little known artists in Portugal
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Maria Natália Vaz Pires Bieck (Portugal) - 2000
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Claus von Oertzen (Germany) - 2001
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Pascale Ticheler (Netherlands) - 2002
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Ernestine Kuger-Hoberg (Germany) - 2003
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Marta Belo (Portugal) - 2004
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Maria Natália Vaz Pires Bieck (Portugal) - 2005
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Maria Leal da Costa (Portugal) - 2006
By combining the
creative and communication side of music with plastic arts, ACIM has had an obvious role in the cultural
dynamism of the town of Óbidos.
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