January 29th
Guided by music created by local and international artists, the Leiria Music Trail takes you through the city to discover some of its attractions from a truly original perspective!
We invite you to dive into a journey that connects the city’s rich cultural heritage with contemporary artistic expression. Simply visit the eleven locations and scan the QR codes to access a free digital platform featuring works by each artist.
Ready to go?
A singer, musician and songwriter, David Fonseca was one of the founding members of the hugely successful Portuguese band Silence 4.
In 2003, he launched his solo career with Sing Me Something New and has remained active ever since.
A prolific creator and captivating performer, David Fonseca turns every live appearance into a truly memorable show.
Head up to the castle and scan the QR code to listen to some of the greatest hits by this artist who makes Leiria so proud.
After exploring Portugal’s most beautiful castle, head down the cobbled street to M|i|mo – Museum of the Moving Image, where the doors are open and waiting for you.
M|i|mo is the cultural venue hosting the QR code featuring music by Inês Apenas. Born in Paris and living in Leiria since the age of three, she began her musical education at Orfeão de Leiria before graduating in Classical Piano in Porto.
Inês is a pianist, singer and songwriter with an eclectic musical style. Her career took off in 2023, when she reached the final of Festival da Canção with the song Fim do Mundo.
Later that same year, she released the original song Leiria Não Existe.
Continuing our journey through the city’s museums, we head straight to the award-winning Museum of Leiria, where we discover Leiria-born saxophonist César Cardoso, a member of the band Desbundixie.
César Cardoso’s talent led him to become the artistic director of the Leiria Jazz Orchestra.
In 2010, he recorded his first album of original music, Half Step. In 2016, he ventured into writing with the book Teoria do Jazz.
His extensive experience has taken him to some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues.
Chegados ao centro histórico de Leiria, numa rua transversal à Rua Direita, encontramos a Igreja da Misericórdia que, hoje, alberga o CDIL – Centro de Diálogo Intercultural de Leiria. É aqui que encontramos o código QR, chave para o espólio musical de Eduardo Cardinho, natural de Leiria, que aos 6 anos ingressou na filarmónica de S. Tiago de Marrazes. Seguiu-se o orfeão de Leiria, a Escola Profissional de Música de Espinho e a Escola Superior de Música Artes e Espetáculo do Porto onde estudou vibrafone jazz. A sua carreira conta já com diversos prémios e participações e trabalhos com artistas e orquestras de renome.
No recentemente remodelado Mercado Municipal de Leiria, encontramos o código QR que nos permite ouvir os incríveis First Breath After Coma, banda de rock alternativo independente e, quiçá, a banda que, nos últimos anos, tem levado o nome de Leiria mais longe. Os First Breath After Coma ficaram conhecidos em 2012, depois de ganharem o concurso ZUS!, numa iniciativa da Fade In – Associação de Acção Cultural. Desde então, nunca mais pararam de criar ambientes sonoros que conduzem qualquer um a destinos tão harmoniosos quanto desconcertantes. Com 4 álbuns lançados, já fizeram digressões por toda a Europa e no seu currículo contam com atuações nos palcos principais de alguns dos mais importantes festivais de música do país.
Located in Largo Cândido dos Reis, better known as Terreiro, the Afonso Lopes Vieira Municipal Library is home not only to books, but also to the QR code featuring João Costa Ferreira, a pianist and researcher from Leiria.
João Costa Ferreira is the director of the Maison du Portugal at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris and began his musical studies at the Orfeão de Leiria Conservatory of Arts.
At the age of nineteen, he moved to Paris, where he continued his studies and developed his expertise. Today, he specialises in music from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
He regularly performs at venues across Europe, and his talent has earned him several awards and distinctions.
Black Box is Leiria’s newest cultural venue, located in the former Episcopal Palace next to the city’s Cathedral.
Designed for smaller audiences, the venue focuses on intimate events such as theatre, dance, music, video, creative sessions and workshops. It was chosen to present the Wind Ensemble project by AFCL – Associação das Filarmónicas do Concelho de Leiria.
Conducted by Maestro Tiago Alves, the AFCL Wind Ensemble brings together soloists from the various philharmonic bands that form the association: Filarmónica do Arrabal, SAMB, AFILBI, Sociedade Filarmónica S. Cristóvão, Filarmónica de Chãs, Filarmónica das Cortes, Sociedade Philarmonica Maceirense, Filarmónica de São Tiago de Marrazes, Filarmónica de Monte Redondo, SAMP and Sociedade Filarmónica Senhor dos Aflitos do Soutocico.
At José Lúcio da Silva Theatre, Leiria’s largest performance venue, beautifully located beside the River Lis, you’ll find the QR code featuring the work of the Leiria Jazz Orchestra.
The project was founded in 2011 by saxophonist, composer and arranger César Cardoso, who brought together jazz musicians from the Leiria region to pursue a shared dream.
Their many concerts have featured a wide range of guest artists. Each performance is created around the invited artist, reinterpreting their music through arrangements adapted to the big band style.
Directly opposite the century-old Luís de Camões Garden, you’ll find Banco das Artes. Built in 1923 as a branch of Banco de Portugal, it is one of the buildings that reflects architect Ernesto Korrodi’s legacy in Leiria and one of the city’s leading cultural venues.
Here, you can scan the QR code to discover the music of Pedro Rodrigues, a classical guitarist who began his musical journey at the Orfeão de Leiria Music School.
His remarkable talent has taken him to prestigious venues in Portugal and around the world. Alongside his international solo career, Pedro Rodrigues is a professor in the Department of Communication and Art at the University of Aveiro. He is also regularly invited to teach masterclasses at conservatories, festivals and universities across Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia.
Overlooking Leiria Castle and just a short walk from the spacious Jardim da Almuinha, Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium was designed by architect Tomás Taveira. This is the location dedicated to singer, musician and songwriter Débora Umbelino, better known as Surma.
Born in Leiria, Surma has been surrounded by music since the age of five. As a member of Backwater & The Screaming Fantasy, she won the ZUS! music competition. She later moved to Lisbon to study jazz at the Hot Club, specialising in double bass and vocals.
Through her music, Surma seeks to take an active stand against bullying and homophobia.
Her debut album, Antwerpen, was released in 2017 and received widespread acclaim in Portugal, establishing her as one of the country’s most promising musical talents.
O Teatro Miguel Franco, localizado no edifício do Mercado de Sant’Ana, projetado pelo arquiteto Ernesto Korrodi e construído onde outrora se ergueu o convento de Santa Ana, extinto em 1880, foi o local escolhido para guardar o código QR que nos leva a conhecer a música de Aitor Llimerá. Aitor Llimerá é solista de oboé e trompa na Banda Municipal de Barcelona e trabalha em projetos de fusão. Ao longo da sua carreira tem sido professor convidado em diversas instituições de renome, de toda a Europa. É membro fundador do conjunto Obac, do quinteto Vent a Cinc e do Mora & Llimerá Duo.
Depois de percorreres este roteiro, levarás contigo não só as melodias que ecoam em Leiria, mas também uma profunda conexão com a riqueza cultural que tornam esta cidade única.
