Vineyard Concert

The echo of Danish opera can be heard in the vineyards of Alentejo every summer. Every year since 2001, we have staged our Annual Summer Vineyard Concerts,  with acclaimed international artists, who perform well known arias and duets against a backdrop of the verdant summer vineyard.

During the intermission, there is a wine-tasting featuring the full range of the Cortes de Cima single vineyard varietals, followed by a sumptuous post-concert Gala Buffet Dinner prepared by Chef Bjarne Otto.

(Note: we have uploaded our own video recordings of the most popular songs from earlier concerts to YouTube here!)

8th Annual Summer Vineyard Concert – ‘Old and New Friends’ - Friday 18 June 2010

THIS YEAR’S CONCERT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

Ulla Kudsk Jensen will be returning once again, this year with the tenor Thomas Præstegård and of course, as always Mats Knutsson at the piano! An event not to be missed! Sign up to our newsletter for more information! The concert is now sold out!

Program - Friday 18 June 2010

17.00 – Welcoming reception

17:30 – Winery Tour

18:00 – Concert

20:30 – Buffet

“Let the “Old” well known be inspired, renewed and uplifted from the “New”, the unknown.

Let me have the honor to present a new man.

A man who is beautiful – yes, he is tall – yes, he is a very good singer – of course, but most of all:

He is a TENOR.

This gives us the opportunity to meet Don José the sympatric lover who ends up killing Carmen in despair.

And to meet Freddy who wants to meet his girlfriend, and Tony who long for Maria and of course he’ll also sing O Sole Mio for you.

Let Thomas, Ulla and the wonderful maestro Mats Knutsson lead you through an adventure of music and love.” - Ulla Kudsk Jensen

Ulla Kudsk Jensen, Mezzo-soprano

Ulla Kudsk Jensen, Mezzo-soprano, is educated at the Opera Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden and continued her studies in New York and Bayreuth, Germany.

She works at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen where she sings the roles of Mrs. Quickly in “Falstaff”, the third Lady in “the Magic Flute”, Annina in “La Traviata”, Orfred’s Mother in “Handmaids Tale”, Magdalone in “Maskarade” and several other parts as well as numerous concerts, Masses and Requiems.

On the Prize winning DVD “The Copenhagen Ring”, a release of the performance of the Wagner Ring she sings the parts as Schwertleite in “Die Walküre” and Flosshilde in “Götterdämmerung”.

This season she sang the role of Senhora Flavia in a new opera based on “Onze Minutos” (Eleven Minutes) by the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho on Opera Fyn and 1st Servant in “Elektra” by Richard Strauss on The Royal Opera. In the coming season she sings Brenda in the new opera “Dancer in the Dark” based on the famous movie by Lars von Trier as well as a part in “Boris Godunov”.

Thomas Praestegaard, Tenor

Thomas Praestegaard, tenor, graduated from the Opera Academy at The Royal Danish Opera and as a soloist from the Royal Danish Music Academy. He had further studies in Germany, Poland and Bulgaria.

In 1999 Thomas Præstegaard received The Danish Wagner Society scholarship. His had his debut singing the very demanding part as King Erik in “Drot and Marsk” (King and Marshal) by the Danish Composer P. Heise and directed by Kasper Holten.

He has been performing with most of the major Opera Companies in Denmark, singing the well known parts of Leander in the great Danish opera “Maskarade” (Masquerade) by Carl Nielsen, Alfred in Die Fledermaus (The Bat) by Johann Strauss the Younger, Don José in “Carmen” and The Brother in “The Seven Virtues”. He also has great success Italy, where he has lived and worked, and in Germany and Holland where they often have the pleasure of hearing his beautiful tenor.

Mats Knutsson, piano

Mats Knutsson, piano, is educated in Vienna and Munich. He has studied with Ernst Häfliger, Hugues Cuenod and Geoffrey Parsons. He has been a teacher at the Opera Academy in Gothenburg and worked at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen for many years. Additionally he arranges courses for singers in Austria, Denmark and Sweden and accompanies singers at numerous concerts.

From the season 2009/10 he is engaged by the Vienna Staatsoper and will furthermore be Study Manager at the Salzbuger Festspiele in summer 2010.

Concert Program

Chef Bjarne Otto’s Gala Menu

Appetizers: (Served during the Concert interval)

Liver mousse

Tapenade

Fresh local goat cheese

Small meatballs w/Tarragon

Iberian black pig Presunto with melon

Crudités with dip

Brioches of olives and ham and herbs

Cortes de Cima olive oil

Vidigueira bread, baked in wood-fired oven

Dinner Buffet:

Starters:

Gazpacho w/ Cortes de Cima Virgin Olive oil and Chaminé Branco

Warm smoked Salmon, w/ sauce Verte,

Fish Terrine made w/ herbs, prawns, orange and lemon peel. Avocado crème

Country pate made w/ garlic, pork meat, liver and walnuts.

Cold Pork fillet stuffed with basil, curry and ginger, w/ curry dressing

Main courses:

Carvery:
Roast Mertolengo Beef
Roast leg of Lamb
Roast Pork

Garniture:
Dijon  sauce
Cream potatoes Gratin
Seasonal vegetables stir-fried in Cortes de Cima Olive Oil
Baked Onions stuffed with mushrooms and olives
Broccoli and spinach Quiche
Fresh garden salad
Tomato and  basil salad

Desserts:
Local ‘Serpa’ Cheese
Home-made “Mozart” chocolate cake
Olive Oil cake “Royale”, with lemon and almonds

Danish layer cake w/fruit, crème and jam.

Coffee and Tea

Wines:

Courela, Chaminé Branco e Tinto 2009, Cortes de Cima 2008, Syrah 2007, Aragonez 2005, Reserva 2004

Price: 100,00 € (children: <6 years old free: between 6 and 15 years old 50% )