Founded in 2011 by Pedro Sousa Silva, Arte Minima is a Portuguese ensemble specializing in the performance of music from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, with a particular focus on the rediscovery of Portugal’s musical heritage. Working directly from original sources and avoiding modern transcriptions, the group adopts a philological approach that encompasses historical music theory, period instruments, and historical tuning practices, in a continuous effort to understand and recreate the musical languages of the past.

Arte Minima has presented innovative programs at several leading national festivals. More recently, the ensemble has begun performing regularly on international stages, with appearances in Madrid (Festival Internacional de Arte Sacro, 2024), Helsinki (Aurore Festivaali, 2025), and an upcoming concert in June 2025 at the Fondazione Turchini in Naples.

The group’s discography includes In Splendoribus (2021), dedicated to previously unpublished compositions from the Cathedrals of Braga and the Monastery of São Bento da Vitória in Porto, and Francisco de Santa Maria – Missa O Beata Maria (2023), released by the prestigious label Pan Classics. In 2025, Arte Minima began releasing the complete collection of Vicente Lusitano’s motets (Liber Primus Epigramatum, 1551), also on Pan Classics, in a phased project scheduled for completion in 2026.

Arte Minima’s work has been recognized and supported by several institutions, including the Portuguese Directorate-General for the Arts, GDA Foundation, Porto City Council, Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Caixa Cultura Award), Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCRDN), Northern Regional Directorate for Culture, Centre for the Study of Music (CESEM), School of Music and Performing Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESMAE-IPP), the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, PORTIC – Porto Research, Technology & Innovation Center, and Antena 2.