Research Catalogue

My research stems from the curiosity of moving beyond the fixed pitches of western tuning and into a sound continuum of extended sound possibilities. I ask questions like: can an acoustic grand piano be completely sonically-reimagined? why should western ears continue to be so accustomed to only one tuning system? In contrast, can “pure sounds” meet ethnically diverse microtonal tuning constellations? Can a newly invented tuning system dialogue with magnetic preparations to evoke timbral effects from Balinese Gamelan or Indian classical music? Collectively, how can this new instrument merge with spatialization and electronics to create embodied experiences for audiences? And how can all these elements be harnessed within a liminal psychological narrative?

Modo de trabalhar no projeto coletivo na plataforma RC: Autor do projeto de grupo é o António, todos os outros são co-autores.

Esta Exposition é o espaço coletivo do grupo de Duque de Saldanha no segundo semestre.

On the 13th of April 2024 an archaeological action in the 2º Torrão neighborhood was carried out, in collaboration with the Almada Archaeology Centre. The objective was not an excavation, it was not prospecting, but an activity that would make the residents, through the participation of the children who live there, aware of their recent past, their identity and the importance of what is happening in their neighborhood, for themselves and others. 2º Torrão is a self-built neighborhood located a few km from the center of Trafaria where approximately 2000 people live.

　Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) was a German composer, pianist, conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory. His piano performances were admired by Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, and he was reputed as "the greatest and most sincere Mozart player of his time."However, you may be surprised on listening for the first time to his performances preserved on piano rolls, since there is noticeable use of expressive practices such as manual asynchrony, unnotated arpeggiation, and rubato (flexibility of rhythm and tempo), which is quite far from the kind of performance style that is considered good today. 　This research clarifies the features of the performance practices audible in early piano rolls, such as those by Reinecke. It focuses on how he arranged and notated the Larghetto from Mozart's Piano Concerto No.26 K.537 for piano solo, how he performed it on piano roll (1905), and how he described the performance of the movement in his book Zur Wiederbelebung der Mozart'schen Clavier-Concerte (1891). The discrepancies between the three source materials give an insight into the implied performance practices of Reinecke’s time and his tacit knowledge. The research culminates with personal experimentation and reflection on how these performance practices can expand the freedom and possibilities of the author’s performances.

The following research observes the artistic creative process of a cross-disciplinary theatrical dance and percussion performance, called “Inseparable”. It discusses and analyses the process and methods behind the creation of the piece; the pros and cons of dance-percussion collaboration, and of working as a team of performer-creators; the involvement of a director; the creation of the final performance with a technical crew (light & sound); and the emergence of a mutual artistic language. The cast includes Zaneta Kesik and Matija Franjes - two dancers (doubling as choreographers), and Joao Brito and Kalina Vladovska - two percussionists (doubling as composers), creating the narrative, dramaturgy, choreography and (some of the) music on their own. The director, Renee Spierings, was invited to be an external coach. Teus van der Stelt and Maurits Thiel - light and sound artists - took care of the final presentation. The four performances took place during and thanks to Muziekzomer Gelderland 2023 and were produced by Jarick Bruinsma. Furthermore, in the research I discuss the social impact of the project's themes – technology addiction and human communication - and I examine a number of reactions and feedback from audience members. The chosen form of presentation is a research exposition.