Artists 2016
GERHARD GRENZING - Organist
Originally from Germany and living in Barcelona, the organ builder has researched and restored many works by Jordi Bosch and his disciples. Gerhard Grenzing studied organbuilding studies with the teacher Rudolf von Beckerath (Hamburg) and was in important workshops in Austria and Switzerland. From 1967 he started to work on the restoration of historic organs in Mallorca, and since 1973 he carries out all the organbuilding tasks in his workshop in El Papiol (Barcelona) where he has done more than 225 works from all around the world. He currently leads a team of 20 professionals. Amongst the honors received, he is a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Seville, the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona and the Catalan Society of Musicology and he was president of the International Society of Organbuilders. In 2014 he received the European Excellence trophy for the Biennale Européene of Artisanat of Lyon. He obtained a Silver Medal of Merit in Fine Arts Music (Ministry of Culture), Crafts Master (Government of Catalonia), award for Heritage Preservation (Center Studies Barcelona), organ master-maker of the year 2006 (German magazine Organ) and is member of the honours committee of the Francophone Alliance, Kingdom of Spain, with the Golden Elephant order. Grenzing, will reveal secret details about the organ of Santanyi, its history and the fascinating history of its creator Jordi Bosch.
FRANCESCA SUAU ARTIGUES - Pipe Organ
She began studying piano at the professional Conservatory of the Balearic Islands and later finished her superior studies at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Valencia. Currently, she is a music teacher at the Santanyí Secondary School. She is a member of the group Entreveus, of which she is a composer and arranger, and of the group of medieval and Renaissance music Polissonia . When she was young she became familiar with the organ in Santanyí, built by Jordi Bosch, with Antonia Mir, her first music teacher. Today she is the organist af the Church Sant Andreu in Santanyí.
TON KOOPMAN - Pipe Organ
Born in Zwolle (Netherlands), Ton Koopman is considered one of the greatest performers and conductors of today. Harpsichordist and organist, Ton Koopman has performed on the most important stages in the world and in particular, he has played concerts on most of the historic organs of Europe. In 1979 he founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and, later, the Amsterdam Choir Barroc. These groups quickly became famous worldwide as one of the best ensembles with period instruments. He performs regularly at larger venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsteradm, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Salle Pleyel in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Philharmonie Berlin, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, amongst many others. Ton Koopman is President of the International Society of Dietrich Buxtehude. In 2006 he was awarded the Bach Prize in Leipzig, in 2012 Lübeck Buxtehude Award, and in 2014 he received the Royal Academy of Music award in London. In recent years, Ton Koopman has been very active as a guest conductor. He has worked with the most prestigious orchestras in the world such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philharmonic Munich, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Symphonieorchester December Bayerischen Rundfunk, DSO Berlin, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Philharmonic Radio France in Paris, Vienna Symphony, the Boston Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, among many others. In 2003 he founded his own record label Antoine Marchand. Ton Koopman is a professor at the University of Leiden, Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London and artistic director of the Festival Itinéraire Baroque. It is the first time that Ton Koopman performs in Mallorca.
BANDA MUNICIPAL DE MÚSICA DE PALMA
The Municipal Band of Palma was presented on the 22nd of December 1966, at the Teatre Principal de Palma under the baton of its first conductor, Julio Ribelles. It soon established itself as one of the youngest group of professionals and a clear reference in the national scene, composed by a group of 45 professors. From the time of Julio Ribelles (1966-1987) up to now the following have served as principal conductors: Barnabas Sanchis, Angel Martinez, Daniel Martinez, Juan Ramon Garrigós and Juan Gimenez. Currently, the principal conductor is Salvador Sebastià López and the assistant conductor is Mario Errea. In May 2004 the Band was invited to participate in the cycle of band concerts of Radio Nacional of Spain performing at the Palau de la Música in Valencia. The band also participated in the recording of the CD Plaza Mayor (Bands of Spain), edited by RTVE Música 2005. The work carried out promoting the music from the Balearic Islands, with the premiere and recording of the works by Antoni Torrandell, Miquel Marques, Bartholomew Oliver and Baltasar Moyà, amongst others, should be pointed out. The Municipal Band performs a series of cultural and educational activities, amongst which stands out the concerts performed at the auditorium of the Superior Conservatory of the Balearic Islands.
SALVADOR SEBASTIÀ - Director Banda Municipal de Palma
Born in Borriana (Castellón), he completed his academic studies at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Valencia where he obtained seven degrees and honorary prize in composition. He has perfectioned his studies at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. His conducting professors have been José Collado, Manuel Galduf, Eduardo Cifre, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Manuel Hernández Silva and J. Schaefli. He has conducted the Orchestra of Valencia, the West Bohemian (Czech Republic), the Ramniccuválcea (Romania), RTV Bulgarian, the Classical Orchestra of Mexico, the Symphony Orchestra of Castelló, the Collegium instrumentale, the Orquesta Ciutat d'Elx, the Orchestra of Neuquén (Argentina), the Orchestra of the Teatro Marrucino of Chieti (Italy), the Orchestra of the City of Tainan (Taiwan), the Municipal Band of Castellón and BSFSM of Valencia. He has been an Orchestral Professor at the Music Conservatory Salvador Segui. In 2002 he obtained a place as Orchestral Professor at the music and performing arts department of the Generalitat Valenciana. Amongst his compositions for band include La leyenda de la Malinche (Ed. Piles), El luthier de Venecia and Preludi per un aniversari. He has been principal conductor of the Musical Society Santa Cecilia of Cullera and he is currently principal conductor of the Municipal Band of Palma.
ELEONORE MARGUERRE - Soprano
The Belgian-German artist studied singing in Karlsruhe and at the University of Music and Arts in Vienna. She has been awarded in numerous singing competitions such as the Competizione dell'Opera (2004) Leyla Gencer Competition (2006), Marcello Viotti Competition (2008) and Boris Christoff (2009), amongst others. She soon began to sing at major theaters in Germany (Weimar, Leipzig, Mannheim, Händel Festival Hall, Darmstadt, etc.). She subsequently performed in venues such as the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, the Vienna State Opera or at the Bregenz Festival. In 2014 Eleonore Marguerre made her debut at the Opera Bastille in Paris and then performed important roles in Dortmund, Glyndebourne Opera, Bordeaux, Tours, Monte Carlo, Essen, etc. She has also performed in cities like Antwerp, Amsterdam, Budapest, Oslo, Berlin, Cologne, Tokyo, Seoul and Hamburg, amongst others. Currently, she has an important relationship with the Dortmund Opera House and its director Jens-Daniel Herzog. She has worked with conductors such as Christopher Hogwood, Adam Fischer, Bruno Weil, Eliahu Inbal, Giovanni Antonini, Philippe Jordan, etc. Her discography includes The beautiful Galatea (Suppe), Demofoonte (Mozart), Das Lied von der Glocke (Max Bruch) or the second symphony Lobgesang (Mendelssohn).
VINCENÇ BALAGUER - Violí
Born in Benaguasil (Valencia), he is a violin professor at the Conservatory of Music of Valencia. He is a regular guest concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra of Navarra, Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National, and the orchestras of Valencia, Madrid, Tenerife, Galicia, Castilla y Leon, Cadaqués and concertmaster-founder of the Collegium Instrumentale Valencia. He teaches at the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, Catalonia National Youth Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Valencia, and the Orchestra of Joves Intèrprets dels Països Catalans.
ORQUESTRA DEL FESTIVAL DE SANTANYÍ
With joy we present the Festival Santanyí Orchestra, a new group that combines soloists of important orchestras and young instrumentalists who are still perfecting at musical centers in Spain and abroad. The conductors of the FSO are the recognized violinists Vicenç Balaguer and Smerald Spahiu.
THOMAS INDERMÜHLE - Oboè
Thomas Indermühle, known as one of the greatest oboists of our times, was born in Bern in 1951 amidst a family of musicians. He studied with Heinz Holliger at the University of Music in Freiburg in Breisgau and with Maurice Bourgue in Paris. Afterwards, he spent several years as solo oboist in the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra in Amsterdam and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1974 he was awarded a prize at the International Competition in Prague, and in 1976 he won the International ARD Competition in Munich. Since then, he has appeared as a soloist in almost all European countries, in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Australia. Important composers such as Manfred Trojahn, Wolfgang Rihm, Akira Nishimura and David Philip Hefti have written oboe concertos for Thomas. His Ensemble Couperin is of great importance to him, as also his activity as a conductor and his work with his students. Indermühle has been responsible for an oboe class at the Zurich University of Music since 1984, and in 1989 he was appointed professor at the University of Music in Karlsruhe. He is currently a guest professor at the Superior Conservatory of Music of the Balearic islands. He has made numerous recordings for Philips, EMI, Claves, Novalis and Camerata Tokyo.
CLAUDIO BRIZI - Clavecí
He studied with W. Van De Pol at the Music Conservatory Morlacchi. Then, he further specialized with Uriol J., M. and M. Radulescu Morgan. He also studied harpsichord with A. Conti at the Conservatorio G. B. Martini in Bologna. He has an intense concert activity as harpsichordist, organist and conductor. As a soloist his repertoire is extensive: from Bach and Haydn concerts to the works of Falla and F. Martin, Mozart sonatas and from Bossi and Poulenc's organ concertos. He has premiered numerous works and many composers have dedicated their works to him. His discography, about 100 CDs, ranges from late Renaissance to the present day. He is also dedicated to musicology and organology. During a number of years, he has been working in investigations and performances related to the so-called keyboard hybrid instruments, such as claviòrgan, harmonium celesta and harmoniumklavier. His collection of keyboard instruments includes historical keyboard instruments and fortepianos, harpsichords, claviòrgan, organ, many kinds of harmoniums, Harmoniumklavier, cane-Celesta, etc. He is professor of organ and organ composition at the Conservatory of Music Stanislao Giacomantonio in Cosenza, and also gives master classes in Europe and Japan.
NATALIA SALOM - Soprano
The Mallorcan soprano graduated at the Professional Conservatory of Music and Dance in Mallorca in vocal studies with tenor Toni Aragón. She continued her musical studies with mezzosoprano Alicia Nafé and moved to Madrid to continue her vocal training. She obtained a BMus at the Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid. She is currently refining her technique with mezzosoprano Janice Alder in Berlin. Natalia won the IV Wagner Competition of Young Artists in Madrid and was awarded at the XXXII International Singing Competition Ciudad de Logroño. She has participated in masterclasses with Josep Bros, Cheryl Studer, Dolora Zajick Ileana Cotrubas, Carmen Bustamante, Sylvia Greenberg and Amelia Felle and with the repertoirists Prof. Gerd Uecker, Prof. Jonathan Alder, Marco Evangelisti, Jorge Robaina, Manuel Burgueras, Giulio Zappa, Marta Pujol, Alejandro Zabala and David Aronson. Natalia has participated in several opera and zarzuela productions at the Teatre Principal de Palma and offered recitals in Mallorca, Madrid, Berlin and Münster.
JONATHAN ALDER - Piano
Born in Cambridge, UK, Jonathan Alder enjoys great prestige as a pianist performing with world famous artists such as Christa Ludwig, Lady Gwyneth Jones, Lucia Popp, Cheryl Studer, Francisco Araiza, Placido Domingo, Hans Sotin, Barry McDaniel, the cellist Pierre Fournier violinist Viktor Tretyakov and also performing in many of the most significant festivals in Europe, Asia and America. Since 1989 Jonathan Alder worked closely with the Berlin Philharmonic, initially under the direction of Claudio Abbado and later Sir Simon Rattle. He has made numerous interpretation courses with Cheryl Studer, Sylvia Geszty, Janice Alford and Ingrid Bjöner in several European countries and also, China, Korea and Japan. He has taught lied and oratorio at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and is professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
LAURI VASAR - Baríton
Born in Tallinn, Estonia. After studying at the Estonian Academy of Music, he completed his studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Then he began an international career that has led him to act in the great opera houses as the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Salzburg Festival, Teatro Real in Madrid, Staatsoper Hannover, Berlin Staatsoper, Teatro de la Monnaie in Brussels the, Barbincan Hall in London, Grand Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Zurich Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, Paris Opera, Prague State Opera, amongst others. In addition to the large repertoire, he has been involved in leading roles of operas like Capriccio and Intermezzo Strauss, Dialogues of the carmelites of Poulenc, Il Prigioniero de Dallapiccola, Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky, Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, The Nose Shostakovich and Die tote Stadt by Korngold. He has worked with conductors such as Dennis Russell Davies, Marc Albrecht, Sebastian Weigle, Michael Boder, Kirill Petrenko, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Adam Fischer, Peter Schneider, Valery Gergiev, Gustavo Dudamel or Simone Young.
Miquel Estelrich - PIANO
Born in Palma (Mallorca), he is titular professor and founder of the Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears, institution which he has directed. He has performed as soloist with the Orquestra Simfònica Ciutat de Palma, the Orquestra Simfònica de Balears, the Marburg's Orchestra (Germany) and Cannes' Orchestra (France), etc. His intense and diverse musical activity has carried him to play in many places such as Valencia, Santander, Zaragoza, Madrid, Barcelona, Italy, Portugal, France, Austria, etc., at the Kennedy Center of Washington and at the Chopin Festival of Valldemossa and Pollença's Festival. He is one of the pianists who most has worked on the recovery and dissemination of the Mallorcan composers; in 1987, he is awarded with the premio nacional de Ministerio de Cultura for his book Compositors mallorquins. He is doctor by the University of the Balearic Islands and pianist of the Orquestra Simfònica de Balears since its foundation, in 1989.