Portuguese Chamber Orchestra

The Portuguese Chamber Orchestra – Musical Association (OCP) was founded in 2007 by Pedro Carneiro, Teresa Simas, Alexandre Dias and José Augusto Carneiro. It made its debut opening the season of the Belém Cultural Centre (CCB), at the invitation of António Mega Ferreira, who, together with Miguel Coelho, played a key role in the orchestra's development.

The OCP has Public Utility status and promotes a range of social and educational initiatives, including Notas de Contacto, dedicated to people with cognitive disabilities, the Orquestra dos Navegadores, Sementes for children and teenagers, and OCPdois, a meeting point for professional and amateur musicians.

In 2010, it launched the Portuguese Youth Orchestra (JOP), Portugal's representative in the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras, which has appeared internationally at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest and the Konzerthaus Berlin as part of the Young Euro Classic Festival. The JOP is also an active participant in the European musician exchange programme MusXchange and the Dudamel Foundation.

The OCP brings together independent professional musicians to create innovative concert programmes. It made its international debut in 2010 at the City of London Festival and has since performed throughout Portugal. Highlights include collaborations with the Portuguese National Ballet Company and festivals such as Cistermúsica, the Póvoa de Varzim International Music Festival, Festival das Artes, Festival ao Largo, the Sintra Festival, Operafest and the Óbidos Opera Festival. The orchestra also organises the Oeiras International Music Festival (FIMCO) every year.

The OCP is supported by the Portuguese Directorate-General for the Arts and institutional partners including the municipalities of Lisbon and Oeiras, PwC, Antena 2, the GDA Foundation, and the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira.