Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos, which was founded in 1997, has had the support of Matosinhos Municipality since 1999. It is an active promoter and supporter of new music. It is able to combine an international ambition and the awareness of its own local responsibility. OJM was invited to the Sao Bento Palace, Lisbon, for the celebrations of the 107th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic. This was in honor of its 20th year. The Medal for Cultural Merit was presented by the Portuguese Prime-Minister, and the Portuguese Culture Minister. OJM’s uniqueness lies in its ability to perform a variety of repertoires, ages and aesthetics. It is led by Carlos Azevedo and Pedro Guedes. It has shared the stage with Remix Ensemble and Casa da Musica/Porto Symphony Orchestra, as well as Matosinhos String Quartet. OJM has performed two new projects every year at Casa da Musica since 2007. OJM has been performing regularly at major Portuguese halls and regularly tours in many European and American cities including Barcelona (where it was a resident orchestra for Voll-Damm International Jazz for 4 years), Belgrade (Konzerthaus mit Kurt Rosenwinkel), Vienna (Konzerthaus), Milan (Beantown Jazz Festival), New York, and Boston. It performed at Jazz Standard, Jazz Gallery and Iridium clubs in New York. In 2007, it was the first Portuguese Jazz band that participated in an American festival (JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall). Some of the best collaborations in OJM’s discography are: Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos Invites Chris Cheek (Fresh Sound New Talent 2006); Portology with Lee Konitz (Omnitone 2007); Our Secret World, which was released in the U.S.A and Portugal (WomMusic 2010); Amoras e Framboesas, featuring Maria Joao as the lead composer and soloist (Universal Music 2011); Bela Senao Estevesa series that featured eight American and European compositions (TOAP 2014); and European (TOAP, 2014); and eight American and European musicians (TOAP, TOAP, 2014). OJM has been based in Matosinhos, at the CARA-High Performance Centre for the Arts (TOAP, 2013); and Jazz Composers Forum: today’s european-american big band writing. This project, which is highly praised by the orchestra, promotes dialogues between science, art, and technology. It encourages the exploration and development of ideas to create, produce, and spread creative content. CARA was opened in September 2018. It welcomes rehearsals, recordings, and community activities. Visit www.ojm.pt
