The festival kicks off on September 12th with the world premiere of a show featuring jazz pianist Luís Figueiredo and dancer Miguel Ramalho. A free masterclass with Dominic Ingham and a performance by Maria Carvalho round out the program on the first day of the event.
From September 12th to 14th, Jazz em Monserrate returns to Sintra to provide a unique experience merging music, heritage, and nature. Featuring concerts, jam sessions, jazz for babies—new for this fourth edition—and a masterclass, the festival will feature around forty national and international artists. The event is promoted by Parques de Sintra and sponsored by the “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with BPI. It also has the support of the Sintra City Council, and Smooth FM is the festival’s official radio station.
On opening day, Friday, September 12th, at 9 p.m., the world premiere of a show that combines jazz and contemporary ballet will be highlighted, starring two of the most renowned artists in their fields—jazz pianist Luís Figueiredo and Miguel Ramalho, principal dancer of the Companhia Nacional de Bailado and choreographer.
Drawing from the languages of ballet and jazz, Luís Figueiredo and Miguel Ramalho share a common ground: creation and improvisation as forms of listening, dialogue, and discovery. In the show, which they will present for the first time at Monserrate Park, sound and movement intertwine in a space of freedom and risk, where the body and piano influence each other in a continuous process of transformation.
The program for this first day of the festival begins at 3 p.m. with a free masterclass led by renowned violinist and composer Dominic Ingham, aimed at aspiring and professional musicians.
The artist will share his processes of composition, improvisation, and group performance of original repertoire in a session that will be open and flexible, with the possibility of taking different directions depending on the interests and needs of the participants. A recurring focus in Dominic’s work is the deep connection with the instrument through the voice—an approach that fosters greater musical awareness and expressiveness, which will certainly be explored throughout the session.
Another highlighted theme will be the use and development of jazz language on unconventional instruments, reflecting Dominic’s own experience as a violinist in the contemporary jazz world.
In the late afternoon, at 7 p.m., young drummer and composer Maria Carvalho will take the stage at Jazz em Monserrate, presenting “Margem,” her latest project. This unique work, simultaneously sensitive and bold, is based on the dialogue between the music of José Mário Branco and jazz, with original arrangements that place the poem and the word at the centre of musical expression.
More than a tribute, Margem is a meeting of languages—between protest song and improvisation, between memory and reinvention. A project that celebrates Portuguese music and the power of language, breathing new life into a remarkable repertoire of national culture.
Maria Carvalho is accompanied by Sara Afonso (vocals), Bruno Ponte (guitar), Juliana Mendonça (double bass), and Luís Lélis (piano).
Under the motto “Bridges and Dialogues”—a theme chosen for this year by Inês Laginha, the event’s artistic director—this will be the first of three days celebrating creative freedom, improvisation, and the pleasure of enjoying art in a relaxed way, with your feet on the grass and in tune with the unique beauty of Monserrate Park.
The fourth edition of the festival aims to showcase how jazz engages with the world: from classical music to Mozambican and South American traditions, including Portuguese music and contemporary ballet.
Jazz em Monserrate was born in 2022, out of a strong desire to invite the public to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world, allowing themselves to be dazzled by the emotion that only music can provide, combining it with a relaxed atmosphere and contact with nature to create unique, singular, and collective memories.
Combining the beauty of Monserrate with a solid, high-quality program, the festival is based on three fundamental pillars: showcasing the breadth of jazz, providing training opportunities for young musicians, and creating moments of informal and intergenerational sharing. By fostering these bridges—between genres, artists, generations, and audiences—the festival continues to assert itself as a culturally and socially responsible festival, rooted in its community and open to the world.
Daily tickets for shows held after Monserrate Park’s closing time for the general public cost €15 and are available on the event’s official website: www.jazzemmonserrate.pt. Holders of these tickets will have access to free round-trip transportation, limited to the capacity of the buses that will operate on the route from Portela de Sintra Train Station to Sintra Train Station to Monserrate Park.
Jazz for Babies concerts are free with the purchase of a Monserrate Park and Palace admission ticket and prior registration.
Jam Sessions are also free, but require the purchase of a Monserrate Park and Palace admission ticket.
The masterclass with Dominic Ingham is free, but requires prior registration, as space is limited. Registration must be completed using the form available on the Parques de Sintra website.
Gates will open for shows held after Monserrate Park closes at 6:00 PM on September 12th and 13th, and at 6:30 PM on September 14th. Once the venue reopens, the public will have access to a selection of street food vendors. On festival days, the Monserrate Tea House will have special hours, remaining open during the late afternoon/evening shows.
Jazz em Monserrate is promoted by Parques de Sintra and sponsored by the “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with BPI. It also has the support of the Sintra City Council, and Smooth FM is the festival’s official radio station.
More information and ticket purchases are available at www.jazzemmonserrate.pt
JAZZ EM MONSERRATE 2025 PROGRAM
September 12th
3:00 PM | Dominic Ingham Masterclass – The Search for Your Own Voice in Jazz and Improvisation
7:00 PM | Maria Carvalho Quintet “Margem”
9:00 PM | Luís Figueiredo and Miguel Ramalho
September 13
10:00 AM and 11:30 AM | Jazz for Babies (0-36 months)
3:00 PM | Jam Session with Jazz Students from the National Conservatory
7:00 PM | Dominic Ingham “Role Models”
9:00 PM | Asymptomatic Orchestra with Fuensanta
September 14
10:00 AM and 11:30 AM | Jazz for Babies (0-36 months)
3:00 PM | Jam Session with Jazz Students from the National Conservatory
7:30 PM | Maria João “Abundância”
Location:
Monserrate Park Lawn, except Jazz for Babies, whose sessions take place in the Palace Music Room
Price:
– Daily admission for shows held after Monserrate Park closes: €15
– Jazz for Babies: Free with purchase of admission to Monserrate Park and Palace, and pre-registration available starting September 1st
– Jam Sessions: Free with purchase of admission to Monserrate Park and Palace
– Masterclass: Free with pre-registration
Tickets available online at www.jazzemmonserrate.pt
Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the access conditions, confirmation of the date and time, ticket sales location, price, and availability.
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