IBOC School of Music Recital (Opera Composition) — 5 New Opera Overtures + Live Q&A (Dec 16, 2026)
IBOC Institute Online Recital
Artistic Director: João MacDowell
Tuesday, December 16, 2026 • 7:00–9:00 PM (Brasília time)
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@BrazilianOperaIBOC
RSVP: ibrazilianopera@gmail.com
Join the IBOC Institute for a live online recital featuring five overtures from five new operas by emerging composers. The evening includes short live conversations with each composer, YouTube premiere screenings of each overture, and a closing open Q&A with the composers and Artistic Director João MacDowell.
Featuring five new operas
- Yuri Marx — Seremos Lendas de Drugália!
- Natalia Cabral Varaschin — Anima Nostra
- Thiago Perdigão — Os Segredos de Capitu
- Sombrio da Silva — Imperfect Decisions
- Anita Sağlam — The Eye Of The Viper
Schedule (Brasília time)
- 7:00 PM — Welcome
- 7:05 PM — Yuri Marx talks (if possible from rehearsal)
- 7:15 PM — YouTube Premiere: Seremos Lendas de Drugália!
- 7:20 PM — Natalia Cabral Varaschin talks
- 7:30 PM — YouTube Premiere: Anima Nostra
- 7:35 PM — Thiago Perdigão talks
- 7:45 PM — YouTube Premiere: Os Segredos de Capitu
- 7:50 PM — Sombrio da Silva talks
- 8:00 PM — YouTube Premiere: Imperfect Decisions
- 8:05 PM — Anita Sağlam talks
- 8:15 PM — YouTube Premiere: The Eye Of The Viper
- 8:20–9:00 PM — Live Q&A with the composers and João MacDowell
Yuri Marx — Seremos Lendas de Drugália!
Premiere time: 7:15 PM (Brasília time)
Video premiere:
About the opera
[PORTUGUÊS]
4 aventureiros são chamados por Lorde Vanderlam, o rei dos Gnomos para uma missão: Impedir a morte dele que foi prevista por um vidente e garantir que tudo dê certo para o festival da primavera. Com o uso de magia e habilidades dedutivas, o grupo começa a procurar por pistas ou suspeitos até que coisas que antes pareciam desconexas, começam a se encaixar. No fim, descobre-se que a estalagem e a cidade estão repletos de diabretes que são liderados por Zack, um demônio que visa usar a energia vital dos gnomos que estão reunidos no festival da primavera para evocar Baal, o deus do sangue e ser o seu servo. Em uma batalha épica na torre da central, Zack acaba matando alguns membros da equipe, mas é derrotado por Centuron, o paladino. Centuron combina o poder do altar demoníaco com o de um diamante mágico para reviver todos os seus amigos e moradores da cidade dos gnomos se sacrificando no processo. Apesar do sacrifício do paladino, o grupo – agora com 3 membros – cumpriu a sua missão e salva o mundo, tornando-se assim, lendas de Drugália!
[ENGLISH]
Four adventurers are summoned by Lord Vanderlam, King of the Gnomes, on a mission: prevent his foretold death and ensure the Spring Festival unfolds safely. Using magic and deduction, the group investigates clues and suspects until seemingly unrelated events connect. They discover the inn and city are infested with imps led by Zack, a demon who plans to drain the gnomes’ life force during the festival to summon Baal, the god of blood, and become his servant. In an epic battle at the central tower, Zack kills members of the team but is ultimately defeated by Centuron, the paladin. Centuron combines the power of the demonic altar with a magical diamond to revive friends and townspeople—sacrificing himself in the process. The group, now three, completes the mission and saves the world, becoming the legends of Drugália.
Composer bio
I started composing in 2016/17 when I was a singer in the OSPA young choir. The conductor told us about MuseScore so we could study pieces—then he said, “You can compose your own music, too.” That gave me the idea.
Natalia Cabral Varaschin — Anima Nostra
Premiere time: 7:30 PM (Brasília time)
Video premiere:
About the opera
Niami escapes an imposed destiny and arrives at Anima Nostra, a magical world threatened by the disease of Cor, the Tree of Life. Alongside Aro, she discovers friendship, courage, and identity. When her family tries to take her back, Niami realizes that submission is not love—and chooses to stay where she can truly be herself.
Composer bio
Natalia “Nati” Cabral Varaschin began her musical studies at age 3 using the Suzuki method—where she discovered that shining like a little star didn’t necessarily mean dying, but could mean playing Mozart on the piano. Creative, intense, and curious from an early age, she developed perfect pitch during the pandemic in Guarda do Embaú by singing “opera” and experimenting with flat and sharp notes.
Since age 8, Nati has participated in IBOC’s “Imersões Guarda” with Professor João MacDowell, where she discovered herself as a young composer. Now 12 years old, she is part of the Choir of Instituto Casa Nobre, studies singing and guitar, and is taking on a major new challenge: composing her first opera, Anima Nostra.
Thiago Perdigão — Os Segredos de Capitu
Premiere time: 7:45 PM (Brasília time)
Video premiere:
About the opera
[PORTUGUÊS]
A ópera Os segredos de Capitu consiste em uma tragédia em 3 atos, na qual são colocadas em cena questões filosóficas e psicológicas sobre as relações contemporâneas, como os problemas que envolvem a monogamia e as relações abertas, de modo a explorar e aprofundar singulares facetas dos personagens e dar um novo sentido aos profundos dilemas entre Capitu, Escobar e Bento Santiago, trazendo à temática original de Machado de Assis uma singular e criativa contextualização, tanto dramática quanto poética e musical.
[ENGLISH]
The opera The Secrets of Capitu is a three-act tragedy that raises philosophical and psychological questions about contemporary relationships—such as the challenges of monogamy and open relationships—while deepening the inner worlds of Capitu, Escobar, and Bento Santiago. It offers a singular and creative re-contextualization of Machado de Assis’s themes through drama, poetry, and music.
Composer bio
Thiago Perdigão is a composer, conductor and writer. He holds a degree in musical composition from UFPel, a master’s degree from the same institution, and a postgraduate degree in orchestral conducting. His pieces have premiered in several Brazilian states and have been among the winners of composition competitions, such as Gramado in Concert 2024. He was conductor and artistic director of the Pelotas Chamber Orchestra and the Sesc RS Youth Orchestra, acting as creator of both. As a writer, he has 7 published books on literature and philosophy. At the end of 2024, he released the album Personagens de si, available on major streaming platforms.
Sombrio da Silva — Imperfect Decisions
Premiere time: 8:00 PM (Brasília time)
Video premiere:
About the opera (elevator pitch)
Imperfect Decisions is an intimate story about the divorce of Clara, a bisexual writer, and her growth through hardship and dumb decisions. It’s about finding beauty in despair, strength in ridicule, and the painful—and unavoidable—effort to reinvent oneself.
Composer bio
Forged in the readiness of music for theater, Sombrio da Silva is a distinctive musician in Brasília, rooted in improvisation and storytelling. They have worked as a clarinetist, accordionist, and arranger with local bands and theater groups, and have focused their creative energy on a solo project since 2020—releasing 2 albums and 2 EPs spanning a wide range of styles and influences.
Anita Sağlam — The Eye Of The Viper
Premiere time: 8:15 PM (Brasília time)
Video premiere:
About the opera
The Eye Of The Viper shows how absolute power can collapse from within—how loyalty can turn into disgust, and how the powerless can become powerful.
Summary
This psychological drama unfolds within the claustrophobia of the Ottoman Harem, centering on the relationship between Nergis Agha and Sultan İbrahim. Nergis Agha, castrated as a child, commands the Harem with elegance that masks loneliness and alienation. Sultan İbrahim, convinced he is the “Shadow of God on Earth,” believes himself untouchable—yet becomes a prisoner of paranoia, manipulated by the servant who feeds his fears. The story traces the collapse of ego and the terrifying irony of a “master” ultimately enslaved by the need for control.
Composer bio
Anita Sağlam is a half-Turkish, half-Persian multi-instrumentalist and composer (born 2002, Muğla, Türkiye). Their musical perspective was shaped by Persian folk traditions, the Persian Dastgāh classical system, Turkish folk and maqam music, and later an affinity for Impressionist music. In 2020, Anita was admitted to the Composition Department of the Ankara State Conservatory at Hacettepe University. Their works have been performed by ensembles including the Semplice Quartet and Ensemble Musikfabrik and broadcast on local radio stations.
Live Q&A (8:20–9:00 PM)
Composers and Artistic Director João MacDowell will answer questions from participants in a live discussion after the premieres.
RSVP: ibrazilianopera@gmail.com
Watch & RSVP
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrazilianOperaIBOC
RSVP: ibrazilianopera@gmail.com
Enroll in the IBOC New Music Intensive!
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Live Streaming with talk:
2025 IBOC Opera Composition Course Premiere: