“Inês has a wonderful stage presence, and her performances are sublime.” Paula Noversa Rioux, Professor at UM Dartmouth

There are moments when history and art converge to remind us of who we are — and who we might yet become. Such a moment will arrive on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., when Portuguese classical pianist Inês Andrade graces the Concert Hall at California State University, Fresno, for an unforgettable evening of music. This marks the first time a Portuguese classical pianist performs at Fresno State, a milestone in the cultural story of the Central Valley and a celebration of the enduring dialogue between the Azores, mainland Portugal, and California’s vibrant Portuguese-American community.

The concert — free and open to the public — will also commemorate a historic academic anniversary: the 60th year since the first Portuguese language and culture course was offered at Fresno State in the fall of 1965. This milestone reminds us of the university’s longstanding commitment to bilingual education and to honoring the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Portuguese-speaking world.

Inês Andrade, hailed for her lyricism and “refined touch” (Diário de Notícias), has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Centro Cultural de Belém, and the Esplanade in Singapore. Her program for the Fresno State concert will be a luminous journey through Portuguese and European musical history, from João Domingos Bomtempo’s classical innovations to the impressionistic modernism of António Fragoso, Luiz Costa, and Fernando Lopes-Graça, interwoven with the universal poetry of Chopin and Debussy. 

Presented in collaboration with the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) at Fresno State, the concert is both a cultural offering and a bridge across generations. It honors not only the beauty of Portuguese music but also the thousands of immigrant families who have helped shape the Central Valley’s rich, multicultural identity. As PBBI continues to expand programs in the Portuguese language, literature, and translation, as well as our Oral History project, our Bruma Publications, and many other events like this, underscore how art connects memory, heritage, and education.

We invite the entire Central Valley community — Portuguese and friends from every culture — to join us for this extraordinary occasion. Come celebrate music, memory, and the spirit of fraternity that defines the Valley. On this November evening, as Inês Andrade’s piano fills the hall, we will be reminded that every note is an echo of shared history — a bridge of sound uniting the islands, the continent, and California’s boundless heart.

This concert is made possible by the efforts of the Consul General of Portugal in San Francisco, Filipe Ramalheira, and all the sponsors.


By Novidades – The Islands and the Diaspora