Founded in 2015, the Festival & Academy VERÃO CLÁSSICO annually presents in Lisbon a program of concerts and masterclasses of international excellence, with the participation of hundreds of musicians from around the world.

The VERÃO CLÁSSICO has taken place in a variety of landmark venues in the Portuguese capital – the Centro Cultural de Belém, Teatro Thalia, the National Coach Museum, the National Conservatory, the Palácio Fronteira, among others – featuring leading international soloists such as Gary Hoffman, Mihaela Martin, Pascal Moraguès, Imogen Cooper, Ana Chumachenco, Frans Helmerson, Janne Saksala, Benjamin Schmid, Eldar Nebolsin, Anna Samuil, Radek Baborák, among others; musicians from the world’s foremost orchestras – including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, etc. – and professors from the most prestigious international institutions – conservatories and universities in Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, Oslo, Madrid, Moscow, Boston, Geneva, Salzburg, Brussels, Lausanne, Cologne, Zurich, Munich, Amsterdam, among others.

Over the past decade, more than 1,500 young musicians have been selected to participate in the masterclasses of the Festival & Academy VERÃO CLÁSSICO, coming from over 50 countries across five continents – such as South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, France, Finland, Georgia, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Mexico, Mozambique, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, among others.

Since its first edition, VERÃO CLÁSSICO Awards have been presented to the best young musicians participating in the Academy. These awards, in the form of concerts included in festivals and music seasons held in Portugal, play an important role in encouraging and recognising the talent and effort demonstrated by participants during the Festival & Academy VERÃO CLÁSSICO.

The Festival & Academy VERÃO CLÁSSICO thus promotes excellence in musical training and the public presentation of young talents, encouraging and supporting them in the development of their careers, while simultaneously fostering cultural exchange among participants of diverse nationalities. For Portuguese students, it offers—within their own country—a platform for the development of their artistic level and the exceptional opportunity to study with the most prestigious professors.

Recognised by the press and by musicians as one of the finest festivals and academies on the international stage, VERÃO CLÁSSICO projects musical excellence and artistic exchange from Lisbon to the world.