…down the rabbit hole… In Portugal, the composition of solo works for pedagogical use or young performers has historically been rare, with the notable exception of the piano, which boasts a substantial library of such literature. Rarer still is chamber music repertoire, particularly works for instrument and piano, the ideal ensemble for a school environment, where accompanists can work continuously with instrument students. This CD, however, reveals a new reality. Recent years have seen a growing interest among Portuguese teachers and instrumentalists in music by their compatriots, both living and deceased. In the absence of existing repertoire, contemporary composers are increasingly being commissioned to write new works, especially for chamber settings. The pieces presented here are largely the fruit of this new collaboration between performers/teachers and composers. Some were written specifically for the students of Marina Camponês, who showcases them on this recording. The seven composers featured here also highlight the remarkable diversity of current Portuguese music. They range from a young composition student, Inês Pinto, to established veterans like Sérgio Azevedo, Eduardo Patriarca, and Eurico Carrapatoso, alongside such emerging names as Daniel Bernardes, Paulo Bastos, and Anne Victorino d'Almeida. The works span a wide range of styles: from the minimalism of Philip Glass (Inês Pinto…) and a classical tonality sometimes imbued with a folk character (Eurico Carrapatoso and Anne Victorino d'Almeida…), to timbral experimentalism (Eduardo Patriarca…). They also encompass a variety of languages inspired by Messiaen, jazz, or Prokofiev (Daniel Bernardes, Sérgio Azevedo, Paulo Bastos…), creating an aesthetic kaleidoscope that challenges rigid schools of thought and narrow views on what contemporary music should be. The origins of the pieces are equally diverse: Sybil, by Anne Victorino d'Almeida, is a tribute to her recently deceased mother; the works by Daniel Bernardes and Sérgio Azevedo were written for Marina Camponês; Eduardo Patriarca's Microphonies was destined for the Marília Rocha Competition; Inês Pinto’s Tempo was included on this CD at her teacher’s suggestion; the pieces by Paulo Bastos, a renowned composition teacher, stemmed from his interest in pedagogy and its repertoire; while Eurico Carrapatoso's Fantasia sprang solely from the composer's creative impulse, unconnected to any specific context or commission. It is also the only piece not directly related to flute pedagogy, but due to its merit as repertoire and its elevated—though not virtuosic—level of difficulty, it represents a valuable addition to the instrument's literature for advanced secondary education. Sérgio Azevedo Encounters in a single breath Pedagogy and performance have always been inseparable in my career, coexisting from the very beginning. They constantly fuel one another, driven by an ambition for continuous growth. My pursuit of innovation and new languages revealed a specific gap: the repertoire of Portuguese music for flute and piano designed for educational purposes was significantly underdeveloped. This project began to take shape from that very premise, through exploring the existing repertoire and seeking out composers interested in collaborating to fill this void. Choosing Diana as my partner in this adventure felt both natural and inevitable. For years, we sensed this was a path we would one day walk together. I always knew it would be her, as we share the same passion for teaching, the same devotion to music, and the same determination to give voice and wings to Portuguese composers. Thus, from a shared idea, a living project was born. And because music has the exceptional power to unite, several remarkable people joined our endeavour, helping us transform words into reality and dreams into sound. A heartfelt thank you to Vanessa, Tatiana, Hugo, and all the composers who embarked on this journey with us—a journey we now share with everyone who allows themselves to be moved by the vitality emerging where pedagogy and musical art meet. Marina Camponês