Tormento

The centenary trees of our courtyard provide the backdrop for the absolute premiere of a cantata-performance for a 12-voice female ensemble. Conceived by the artist Gustavo Sumpta and with music by the composer Nuno da Rocha, the electronic piece Tormento celebrates the 500th anniversary of the birth of the poet Luís de Camões by bringing to life the mythical figure of Adamastor from Canto V of Os Lusíadas. 

This concert commissioned and produced by Operafest is part of the 5th edition of this independent opera festival, running from 22 August to 11 September 2024. The theme, Fatal Instinct, highlights the irresistible attraction of borderline situations and the passage to a point of no return, drawing parallels with the contemporary context and the challenges facing humanity.

About Operafest

This festival led by soprano Catarina Molder and produced by Ópera do Castelo combines tradition and the avant-garde to bring operas, concerts, performances, cinema, debates, workshops, conferences and a themed party to the general public. In 2024, it will be divided between Oeiras and Lisbon, in the gardens of the Marquês de Pombal Palace, the open-air amphitheatre of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Cinemateca Portuguesa, the Titanic sur Mer and the Sinel de Cordes Palace. Gustavo Sumpta

Artistic team

Gustavo Sumpta
Performer, visual artist and actor. His work explores what unites us beyond the language we speak to find the lowest common denominator. His performances include Sempre-em-Pé (2020), Herdeiro Universal (2022) and Virá a morte e terá os teus olhos (2023).

Nova Era Vocal Ensemble
Directed by João Barros and made up of 24 young professionals, its mission is to interpret and promote contemporary national and international choral music, without neglecting the great works of music history.

Nuno da Rocha
Nuno da Rocha holds a doctorate in composition from the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2015 he was Young Composer in Residence at the Casa da Música in Porto. He has two monographic albums - Mesmo que faça frio (2016) and O que será do rio (2019). Highlights of his career include the orchestral pieces Restart (2015) and Inferno (2020) and his opera Paraíso (2023).