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About Poliphonia

Promoting music of the americas since 2017

Who we are

Poliphonia is a charity founded in 2017 with the purpose of promoting the music of the Americas.

The idea of opening the charity came from the success a series of concerts and festivals premiering works by Latin American composers in the UK.

In 2011, the pianist Clélia Iruzun and the Coull Quartet promoted a concert at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre where they premiered the Piano Quintet by Henrique Oswald among other works. It was the first concert of the festival Brazil Three Centuries of Music. They subsequently promoted several events in different venues always with the aspiration of exposing works by Brazilian composers to British audiences.

Principles of Our Work

Poliphonia aims to promote the revision and digitation of scores still in manuscript form and the performance of music of the Americas by established professional as well as young players.

Experience

Poliphonia emerged from the success of numerous concerts, festivals, recordings, premieres and score restorations in the UK and aims to expand its success in building a musical legacy of the Americas.

News and Events

Latest charity news and upcoming Poliphonia concerts

06 London Brass

Concert: Power and Nuance, Brass Music from the Americas

21st March 2024 | 7:30pm | Sands End Community Centre, Peterborough Road, SW6 3EZ London Central Brass Ensemble Programme Gwyneth Walker – Raise the Roof Bernardo Simoes – Brass Quintet Eric Whittaker – October arr. Tavares Enrique Crespo – Suite Americana ‘Bossa Nova’ Vincent Persichetti – Parable II Tickets can be purchased on the New…

05 Heloisa

Concert: Rita Medeiros and Heloísa Feichas

8th February 2024 | 7:30pm | 1901 Arts Club, 7 Exton Street, London, SE1 8UE Rita Medeiros Singer Heloisa Feichas Pianist and Lecturer Programme Dori Caymmi and Nelson Motta: O cantador Guinga and Paulo Cesar Pinheiro: Senhorinha Chico Buarque: A ostra e o vento Johnny Alf: Eu e a brisa Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque:…

04 Katarzyna

Concert: Katarzyna Smolarek – Guitar

5th December 2023 | 7:30pm | 1901 Arts Club, 7 Exton Street, London, SE1 8UE Katarzyna Smolarek guitar Information Katarzyna Smolarek is a Polish classical guitarist based in Salzburg, Austria. Currently she is a student of a Master’s degree at the Mozarteum University in the class of professor Marco Díaz-Tamayo. Winner of the Poliphonia Prize at…

03 Clelia and Sylvia Winds

Concert: Clélia Iruzun & Sylva Winds

14th November 2023 | 6:30pm | Brazilian Embassy, 14-16 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5BL Clelia Iruzun pianoSylva Winds wind ensemble Programme Francisco Mignone: Sextet No.1Radames Gnattali: Sonatina a SeisLuciano Gallet: Suite on Afro-Brazilian ThemesFurther short pieces by Osvaldo Lacerda and Villa-Lobos Tickets are free although registration is required by clicking here

Our Work

What we do

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Concerts

Poliphonia will promote concerts in the UK with repertoire from composers from the Americas with the aim of introducing works by lesser known composers from this part of the world. It will also sponsor young players interested in learning this repertoire.

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Education

The creation of bridges between professional musicians with knowledge of music from the Americas, and young performers playing together in workshops and concerts; guiding and introducing a new generation to this repertoire.

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Restoration

Poliphonia aims to revise and digitise works still in manuscript form to facilitate the performance of such works and making online versions available free of charge on the website.

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Recording

Poliphonia will record and produce films of both performances and educational content introducing and promoting composers from the Americas.

Engage with us and Donate

We are always open for collaborations and ideas. Engage and support us today by donating to us.

Projects

Some of our latest work.

Our Team

Board of trustees and our team overlooking the Charity’s Functions and Events

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Renato Martins

Finance Director

Renato Martins studied piano and graduated at the Conservatoire of Music in Rio. He continued his studies with Maria Curcio, Merces de Silva Telles and at Guildhall School of Music. He performed in Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and the UK but decided to study Management and moved to a career in the Oil and Gas and Renewables Industry. Despite not performing in public for a number of years, Renato remains passionate about music and continues to play, listen and read about music, especially researching new repertoire from composers of the Americas.

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Clelia Iruzun

Classical Pianist

Clélia Iruzun is one of Brazil’s leading classical musicians. Clélia studied at the School of Music in Rio de Janeiro and at the Royal Academy of Music where she gained the Recital Diploma and several prizes. She also worked with Nelson Freire, Merces de Silva Telles, Stephen Kovacevich and Fou Ts’Ong. Clélia Iruzun pursues a busy international career as soloist and chamber musician having performed in Europe, the Americas and Asia. She has also made several successful CDs with a variety of repertoire, from Latin American composers to the Mendelssohn Concertos and more recently the Piano Concertos by Albeniz and Mignone with the RPO and Jac van Steen for SOMM.

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Nicholas Roberts

Cellist and member of Coull Quartet

Nick Roberts is the cellist of the Coull Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Warwick since 1977, performing and broadcasting throughout Europe, the USA and the Far East.  He studied with Joan Dickson and Amaryllis Fleming at the Royal College of Music and enjoyed a hugely varied career encompassing chamber music, chamber orchestras, contemporary music groups and commercial recording, before joining the Coull Quartet in 2000.  He has made a number of acclaimed recordings for the Black Box and SOMM labels, including the Piano Trios of Frank Bridge with the Bernard Roberts Piano Trio and Quartets by Sibelius, Benjamin Britten and Nicholas Maw with the Coull Quartet. 

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Nadia Myerscough

Violinist

Nadia Myerscough studied at the Royal Academy of Music with her father Clarence Myerscough and at Indiana University with Franco Gulli where she was awarded the Artist Diploma. Nadia has toured, both as a chamber music player and soloist, throughout Europe, the Seychelles, South America, Japan and the Far East, including a tour of Switzerland with the Festival Strings Lucerne. She has recorded for the Naxos and Meridian labels to great critical acclaim. She also teaches in distinguished schools in the UK and is regularly invited to Spain and Poland to give masterclasses.

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Sarah Neil

Double Bass Player

Sarah Neil studied double bass and piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has worked extensively as a chamber musician and guest principal with many well-known ensembles and orchestras such as the Bolshoi Ballet, BBC Philharmonic and even alongside Luciano Pavarotti. She then joined the Scottish Opera, and made her permanent home in Scotland. More recently Sarah has dedicated her time to nurturing the next generation of double bass players, teaching and coaching in Scotland whilst continuing to perform widely.

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Raphael Iruzun Martins

Architect

Raphael studied Architecture at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and currently manages all media, platforms and visual communication at Poliphonia. Throughout his studies and professional life, he has always been engaged with graphic design, video and media work as RIM Creation. Raphael works at WilkinsonEyre Architects and previously at Arup Foresight + Research + Innovation, Avanti Architects in London and Jaime Lerner Arquitetos Associados in Curitiba branching towards innovative ways in designing for cities and communicating ideas with numerous audiences.

Partners

Current and Past collaborators