Fundation of AWPM

The AWPM has its beginnings in a private project that organized regular training courses in music pedagogy, instructed by Professor Jos Wuytack, for specialist music teachers. After his first appearance in Lisbon in 1968, invited by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Jos Wuytack has regularly taught in Portugal from 1973 on. He directed many musical courses and workshops in different locations, involving thousands of teachers, educators, and music students, who enjoyed his unique way of teaching.

Some music professionals were involved in the organization of the first courses and in the dissemination of Orff’s ideas and the Wuytack Pedagogy in Portugal: Maria de Lurdes Martins, teacher, composer, and author of the Portuguese adaptation of the Orff-Schulwerk, Leonor Costa Lima, teacher and director of the Organum Choir, and Miguel Graça Moura, teacher and director of the Musica Viva, a vocal and instrumental group.

Because of its quality and regularity, this project became a significant tradition in the music teacher continuing training, which has largely contributed to the development of music education in Portugal. To ensure the continuity of this project, a group of teachers founded the AWPM in 1992, led by Graça Boal Palheiros, music lecturer at the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, and president of the AWPM.

Support from and Collaboration with other Institutions

The annual organization of the Wuytack courses of music pedagogy in Porto and Lisbon has had the regular collaboration of the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, and the School EB 2,3 Manuel da Maia of Lisbon. The organization of music teacher training courses in other parts of the country is due to initiatives either of the AWPM or of local institutions (High Schools of Education, Primary and Secondary Schools, Centres of Teacher Training, Regional Educational and Cultural Centres, and Associations).

The activities of the AWPM are made possible by the voluntary work of its board members. Its revenue comes from the registrations in courses, annual fees, and the sale of publications. Although it has not received regular financial support, the AWPM has received some financial and logistic support from various institutions, for specific projects, such as publications and concerts.

Edition of the CD Canções Tradicionais Portuguesas and the CD Cantar o Natal (1999, 2002): Portuguese Association of Music Education, Ministry of Culture-North Delegation, Musical Foundation of Friends of Children, Joseph B. Fernandes Memorial Trust, Lisbon City Council Phonoteca.


Concerts in Porto and Lisbon (1997, 2000): Fundação Eng. António de Almeida, Teatro da Trindade, Ministry of the Flemish-Belgium Community, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, ARTAVE - Professional Artistic School of Vale do Ave, Portuguese Youth Institute, Oeiras City Council, Porto City Council, Caixa Geral de Depósitos Bank.

The exchange of experiences between young students and teachers, both nationally and internationally, was made possible through the collaboration of the AWPM with other institutions: APEM-Portuguese Association of Music Education, FMAC- Musical Foundation of Children’s Friends in Lisbon, Orff Institute of Porto, APEMBA-Teachers Association of Music Education in Bahia, Brazil, AULODIA-Music Teachers Association of Valencia, Spain, and the Portuguese School in Maputo, Mozambique.