Jordi Savall is an exceptional figure in today’s music world. For more than fifty years, he has been bringing to the world musical wonders abandoned in the darkness of indifference and oblivion. Dedicated to researching ancient music, he reads the scores and performs them on his viola da gamba or as a conductor. His career as a concert performer, teacher, researcher and creator of new musical and cultural projects makes him one of the key artists to put historical music back into value. Together with Montserrat Figueras, they launched the three ensembles Hespèrion XXI (1974), La Capella Reial de Catalunya (1987) and Le Concert des Nations (1989). Together they have explored and fashioned a universe full of emotions and beauty, projecting it to the world and to millions of music lovers.
A reference for music ranging from the Middle Ages, Renaissance to Baroque and Classicism, Savall has recorded over 230 albums, with a particular focus on the Hispanic and Mediterranean musical heritage. His production has won multiple awards, such as the Midem, International Classical Music and Grammy awards. His concerts have turned music into a mediation instrument for understanding and peace between different and sometimes conflicting people and cultures. To this end, together with Montserrat Figueras they were named European Union Ambassadors for Intercultural Dialogue and Artist for Peace as part of UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassadors programme (2008).
His prolific musical career has received the highest national and international honours, including Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Évora (Portugal) in 2007, Barcelona (Catalonia), Louvain (Belgium) and Basel (Switzerland); the insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur of the French Republic; the Praetorius Music Prize from the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony in the category of International Music Prize for Peace; the Gold Medal of the Catalan autonomous government and the prestigious Léonie Sonning Music Prize, considered as the Nobel prize of music.
“Jordi Savall testifies to a common cultural inheritance of infinite variety. He is a man for our time” (The Guardian, 2011)