Contraponto: “In C” by Terry Riley

In 2025, we celebrate the 90th birthday of composer Terry Riley, an emblematic figure in contemporary American music. To commemorate this milestone, percussionist and conductor Pedro Carneiro joins distinguished guests, including musicians from Braga, to present an interpretation of In C, an iconic work from 1964 that became a landmark in minimalist musical aesthetics.

Composed of 53 melodic fragments, In C invites performers to engage in a constant and surprising dialogue, proposing a hypnotic game of repetitions, overlaps and variations, in a fascinating balance between structure and freedom. The result is a constantly changing soundscape, where each performance is unpredictable and engaging.

Influential to composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams, Terry Riley’s In C remains as challenging and vibrant today as it was six decades ago. Thus, in this celebration, the audience is invited to immerse themselves in a musical experience exploring the delicate contours between score and improvisation.

Contraponto is a cycle dedicated to 20th and 21st century composition, where we invite local, national and international ensembles and composers to guide us through the music of one of the most fertile periods in terms of new ideas and forms.