La Clásica celebrated the second edition of the festival at the Monastery of Oia and the Church of Santa María de Oia.
The festival “A Well-Tempered Path” offered a unique experience combining early music with Oia’s rich heritage. In its second edition, it stood out for the incorporation of dance, giving rise to an artistic residency exploring historically informed performance.
The event, held from 6 to 9 September at the Monastery of Oia and the Church of Santa María de Oia, featured a diverse programme including concerts, workshops and guided heritage tours.
“A Well-Tempered Path” broke with daily routine by engaging audiences in an environment of reflection and emotion, allowing them to discover the timeless beauty of early music performed in unique spaces that surprise, fascinate and move.
Manuel Martínez, responsible for the festival’s programming, stated: “The Monastery of Oia and the parish church of Santa María de Oia are unique heritage treasures. In this edition, we explored the layers of time of these buildings through historically informed performance, creating a parallel between the history of the Monastery and the evolution of music through live performances. Often, to appreciate the greatness of music, it is essential to present it in the right place.”
Dance played a central role throughout the four days of the festival, enabling the exploration of the heritage site by bringing music into different spaces within the monastery. The historically informed performance residency took place in the Cistercian complex of Oia, where various professionals in historical dance from the Portingaloise Cultural and Artistic Association, students from the Ginasiano Dance School in Porto, the Artistic School of Music of the National Conservatory (EAMCN) in Lisbon, as well as students and professors from the early music department of the Professional Conservatory of Music of Ourense, collaborated on unprecedented projects emerging from the encounter between artists, heritage, music and dance.
In summary, “A Well-Tempered Path” stands as a festival that masterfully blends early music, historical heritage and dance in an exceptional setting such as Oia. The second edition demonstrated the richness of this cultural proposal by bringing together artists, audiences and heritage in an enriching dialogue. This initiative continues to contribute to the appreciation and revitalisation of early music and historical legacy, offering an experience that combines tradition with artistic innovation in a unique setting. We look forward to seeing how it evolves in future editions and how it continues to move those who take part in this unique celebration of culture.
