About the Festival
The music for low brass instruments has always had its own space over time, but in the last decade found in Gravíssimo! – Alcobaça International Low Brass Festival and Academy, a privileged stage, in a unique project, with the ability to combine training with a strong component of eclectic cultural programming on an international level.
This is what happens in Gravíssimo!, a moment when the city of Alcobaça (Portugal) welcomes national and international participants who, throughout 6 days, attend the Academy, consisting of daily Masterclasses and Workshops led by renowned artists and teachers in the low brass panorama, and attend and participate in concerts integrated in the Festival.
The 2023 edition will be held from August the 28th to September 2nd, and will include some new aspects in the Academy: the mornings will be exclusively dedicated to individual sessions with guest tutors ( subject to prior registration) and the afternoons will be used for developing music ensemble activities.
In addition to the interaction of prestigious musicians with young artists, the Festival also opens its doors to the general public through daily recitals and concerts that explore the peculiar sounds of low brass in its various registers: from chamber music to jazz, new interpretation techniques are explored highlighting the qualities of these instruments (tuba, trombone and euphonium). Gravíssimo! has been recognised as a Remarkable Festival by EFA (European Festivals Association) through the attribution of the EFFE (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe) label since 2017.
Organized by ABA - Banda de Alcobaça, Associação de Artes, Gravíssimo! is a structure funded by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture/DGArtes.