The circle of Music Friends

One fine day at Os Agostos in September 2014 an experiment was started by bringing classical music recitals to the Monte.

The Circle of Music Friends, generally known as “Amigos de Música”, is a private membership club of mainly Algarve residents of more than 12 nationalities whose aim it is to enrich the cultural life of the Algarve by inviting world-class musicians for regular concerts. They had been successfully active for over 20 years at the Centro Cultural in São Lourenço, but found themselves without a  venue when CCSL closed its doors.
In came their Yamaha concert piano and 100 chairs, so that on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Os Agostos could open its gates for the first time to a classical music recital in the erstwhile Adega. The astonished crowd of music lovers who had found the way up into the hills, were treated to a convivial welcome reception in the atmospheric old Stables before the recital by the Ukrainian pianist, Evgeny Gromov, took place in the Adega.
Since that first musical event 5 years ago there have been regular concerts at Os Agostos by a great number of chamber music interpreters of world-renown in a variety of formations: soloists, duos and trios. The acoustics in the former wine cellar are excellent and the space with its intimacy conjures up a particular closeness between the mostly full-house audience and the appreciative artists.

The experiment has turned itself into an amazing success story.

Os Agostos has become a true Temple of Classical Music.

Artists, once invited to come to the Algarve to play at Os Agostos, willingly come back, so that we can proudly call pianists, like Piers Lane, Paul Crossley, Katya Apekisheva, Joana Gama, Andrey Gugnin, and violinists like Roman Simovic and Daniel Rowland, cellists like Tim Hugh and M. Jose Falcao, viola players like Paul Silverthorne and clarinetists like Andrew Marriner.

​

Alissa Firsova

British Russian pianist, composer and conductor, internationally successful soloist and widely collaborative artist.  In 2019 she composed for the Amigos de Musica the original work "Algarvia"

for piano and violin.

 

Andrey Gugnin

Comes from Moscow. His versatility as soloist and chamber music partner has him playing in the most prestigious venues.

Winner of 1st prize in Sydney International Competition, he was invitedto play at Os Agostos in 2018.  He will come again in 2020.

​

Daniel Rowland

Is the charismatic Dutch-English violinist with whom "Algarvia" was premiered on June 13th, 2019 in Os Agostos.

​

Katya Apekisheva

Born in Moscow, she is one of the foremost pianists

in demand internationally.  Winner of the Leeds Piano Competition

and now Professor at the London Guildhall School of Music.

 

Milan Miladinovich

The Serbian pianist and musicologist is avery popular piano virtuoso as well as lecturer, who gets standing ovations after all his performances.

 

Piers Lane

Australian pianist and one of the most engaging performers

of his generation.In great demand as soloist world wide and Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition.

​

Sa Chen

Chinese, and one of the most charismatic and famous pianists today.Winner of the Chopin Piano Competition in 2000

and the Van Cliburn in 2005.She plays on all prestigious venues as soloist and works with the most renowned conductors and orchestras.

​

​

Photography below by Max Kandler.

​

​