Is one of the most versatile musical figures of his generation. For more than forty years, he has been bringing to light musical wonders forgotten in the shadows of indifference and neglect. Devoted to researching these ancient musical traditions, he studies and performs them with his viola da gamba or as a conductor. His work as a performer, educator, researcher, and initiator of new musical and cultural projects positions him among the key figures in the revival of historical music.

Together with Montserrat Figueras, he founded ensembles such as Hespèrion XXI (1974), La Capella Reial de Catalunya (1987), and Le Concert des Nations (1989), through which he explores and creates a universe of emotions and beauty shared worldwide with millions of early music enthusiasts. According to The Guardian (2011), “what really distinguishes Jordi Savall are his journeys beyond the temple of high culture. An omnivorous minstrel, he searches libraries in Manchester or villages in Colombia to rescue musical traditions, with recordings ranging from Berber rhythms to the ecstasy of a raga, from the moving stillness of an Armenian lament to the liveliness of an Elizabethan galliard.”

His crucial participation in Alain Corneau’s film Tous les Matins du Monde (winner of a César for Best Soundtrack), his intense concert activity (140 concerts per year), recordings (six annual releases), and the creation of his own record label, ALIA VOX (founded with Montserrat Figueras in 1998), demonstrate that early music need not be elitist and can appeal to an increasingly diverse and growing audience. His extensive work has been described as “not merely a musical revival, but a creative revival,” in the words of critic Allan Kozinn in The New York Times (2005).

After completing cello studies at the Conservatory of Barcelona (1964), he began studying viola da gamba and early music as an autodidact with the group Ars Musicae. Between 1968 and 1993, he refined his skills at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Switzerland), where he also taught, and is currently a visiting professor at the Juilliard School in New York. Throughout his career, he has recorded and produced more than 200 albums covering medieval, Renaissance, baroque, and classical repertoires, with particular attention to Hispanic and Mediterranean musical heritage. These recordings have received numerous awards, including the Midem Awards, International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), and a Grammy Award.

For Jordi Savall, “music is one of the most universal means of expression and communication, and its importance should not be measured by the evolution of its language, but by its expressive intensity, inner richness, and humanity.” His concert programs have transformed music into an instrument of mediation for understanding and peace among diverse peoples and cultures. Thus, his guest musicians include Arab, Israeli, Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Afghan, Mexican, and American artists. In 2008, he was appointed European Union Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue, and together with Montserrat Figueras, he was designated as an “Artist for Peace” by UNESCO.

His artistic career is considered a driving force behind the revival of early music in Europe, America, and the Mediterranean, making him a key reference in the study, performance, conducting, and intercultural approach to various musical traditions. He has received the highest distinctions, including honorary doctorates from the universities of Évora, Barcelona, Leuven, Basel, and Utrecht, the distinction of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur from the French Republic, the Praetorius Musikpreis Niedersachsen from the Ministry of Culture of Lower Saxony, the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Helena Vaz da Silva European Award, and the prestigious Léonie Sonning Music Prize (2012), considered the Nobel Prize of music. As The Guardian (2011) noted, “Jordi Savall reveals an infinitely diverse common cultural heritage. He is a man for our times.”

Following the model of the renowned medieval ‘Royal Chapels’ for which the great masterpieces of sacred and secular music of the Iberian Peninsula were composed, Montserrat Figueras and Jordi Savall founded La Capella Reial in 1987. It was one of the first vocal ensembles dedicated to performing music from Spain’s Golden Age using historical criteria and composed exclusively of Hispanic and Latin voices. Since 1990, the group has been known as La Capella Reial de Catalunya, regularly supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The ensemble specializes in the recovery and historically informed performance of medieval and Golden Age polyphonic vocal heritage from Spain and Europe prior to the 19th century. Sharing the artistic approach of Hespèrion XXI, and with deep respect for the spiritual and artistic dimensions of each work, La Capella Reial de Catalunya masterfully blends quality, stylistic fidelity, declamation, and expressive projection of poetic texts.

Its repertoire spans medieval music from Mediterranean cultures to the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Some of its most celebrated programs include the Cantigas of Alfonso X El Sabio, El Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Sephardic songs, the music from El Misterio de Elche, romances from Don Quixote, Golden Age songbooks, and Mozart’s Requiem. The group has also explored Baroque and Classical operatic repertoires, as well as contemporary compositions by composers such as Arvo Pärt. It contributed to the soundtrack of Jacques Rivette’s film Jeanne La Pucelle (1993), about Joan of Arc.

With over 40 recordings released, their discography has received prestigious awards such as the Midem Classical Award, the International Classical Music Awards, and a Grammy Award. Under the direction of Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya maintains an active international presence in concerts and recordings, regularly performing at major ea

The most significant value of early music lies in its ability, as a universal artistic language, to convey sensitivities, emotions, and ancestral ideas that continue to move contemporary audiences. With a repertoire ranging from the 10th to the 18th century, Hespèrion XXI continually seeks new connections between East and West, promoting integration and recovery of international musical heritage, especially from the Mediterranean region and the New World.

Founded in 1974 in Basel by Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras, along with Lorenzo Alpert and Hopkinson Smith, the group initially emerged as Hespèrion XX, aiming to recover and disseminate pre-19th-century music, following historical criteria and using original instruments. The name Hespèrion references the ancient Greek names for the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, as well as Venus as the “evening star.” In 2000, the ensemble was renamed Hespèrion XXI.

Today, Hespèrion XXI is an indispensable reference for understanding musical evolution from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. Its efforts in recovering unpublished works, scores, instruments, and documents hold dual invaluable significance: they contribute fresh insights to historical research and provide high-quality performances that allow audiences to experience the beauty and spirituality of these musical pieces.

From its inception, Hespèrion XXI has followed a clear and innovative artistic direction, influencing the global music scene by viewing early music as a tool for musical experimentation and expressive exploration. Performers must connect with the original spirit of each work through the study of its author, instruments, and historical context, while also making creative choices that link the past with the present and cultural heritage with its dissemination.

Their repertoire encompasses Sephardic music, Castilian romances, Spanish Golden Age works, and music from various European nations. Among their most celebrated programs are the Cantigas de Santa María by Alfonso X, La Diáspora Sefardí, and music from Jerusalem, Istanbul, Armenia, and Folías Criollas. With over 60 recordings released, Hespèrion XXI continues to play a crucial role in the revival of global musical heritage and actively participates in leading international music festivals.

Le Concert des Nations was founded by Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras in 1989 during preparations for Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Canticum Beatae Virgine, aiming to form an orchestra of historical instruments capable of performing repertoires ranging from the Baroque to Romantic periods (1600–1850). The name is inspired by François Couperin’s work, Les Nations, symbolizing the union of musical tastes and anticipating the European artistic spirit of the Enlightenment.

Under Jordi Savall’s direction, it was the first orchestra mainly comprised of musicians from Latin countries (Spain, Latin America, France, Italy, Portugal, etc.), all internationally recognized specialists in early music performed on period instruments. From its inception, the ensemble has aimed to present historical repertoires through performances faithful to their original spirit but enriched with revitalizing energy. This is clearly demonstrated by their programs and recordings of composers such as Charpentier, J. S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Handel, Marais, Arriaga, Beethoven, Purcell, Dumanoir, Lully, Biber, Boccherini, Rameau, and Vivaldi.

In 1992, the ensemble debuted in the operatic genre with Martín i Soler’s Una Cosa Rara, performed at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid. This was followed by productions of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and other Baroque and Classical operas such as Il Burbero di Buon Cuore, Celos aun del aire matan, and Vivaldi’s Farnace and Il Teuzzone.

Their extensive discography has earned accolades such as the Midem Classical Award and the International Classical Music Awards. Their recordings and performances at major international venues have established Le Concert des Nations as one of the premier period-instrument orchestras, adeptly delivering a broad and diverse repertoire that spans from the earliest orchestral music to Romantic masterpieces.

La Jove Capella Reial de Catalunya is a professional vocal ensemble directed by Lluís Vilamajó and co-founded with Jordi Savall, aimed at promoting a new vocal formation composed of young singers specializing in early music performance. The ensemble maintains high artistic and musical standards, deeply exploring the historical interpretation of repertoires from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary music, including compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Mateu Fletxa, Edward Elgar, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Patricia van Ness, among others.

With a commitment to reaching a broad and diverse audience, La Jove Capella Reial de Catalunya has performed in prestigious venues such as L’Auditori in Barcelona and participated in renowned festivals like Festival Espurnes Barroques and Festival Emergents. Through their performances, the ensemble actively contributes to the dissemination and revitalization of historical musical heritage, providing a professional platform for its young members.

Accompanied by traditional instruments such as the oud, saz, Maghreb and Middle Eastern percussion, ney, Armenian duduk, and Mediterranean voices, Orpheus XXI presents integrative concerts blending Eastern and Western music. Founded in 2016 by Jordi Savall, EU Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue in 2008 and UNESCO Artist for Peace, the ensemble comprises professional immigrant and refugee musicians from various countries.

The project integrates refugee and immigrant professional musicians, enabling them to transmit their culture through pedagogical, educational, playful, and creative activities aimed at musically talented youth, fostering integration and intercultural dialogue. Orpheus 21 has performed in countries including Catalonia, France, Germany, and Norway, appearing on stages such as Cité de la Musique in Paris, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, and Festival de Musique de Besançon (France). Co-directed by renowned Syrian musicians Moslem Rahal (ney) and Waed Bouhassoun (vocals), the ensemble offers vibrant, unforgettable performances that transcend geographical boundaries, conflict, and intolerance.

An early music group created by Enrike Solinís in Bilbao in 2006, it has managed, in a personal way, to make a place for itself in the international early music scene. Its first two CDs were a springboard for performing in some of the most important theatres and festivals in Europe: Vienna Konzerthaus, Ludwigsburg Festival, Fontfroide Festival, Stockholm Early Music Festival, Spring Festival Prague, Bilboko Musika-Música, Quinzena Musical de San Sebastià, Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, Bruges Konzertgebouw, Regensburg Festival, Montreal Baroque, Festival de Música Antiga de Sevilla, Flamenco Biënnale Nederland, NDR Das Alte Werk, Festival de l’Abadia de Fontfroide, etc. The group was recently invited to participate in the film Jota by Carlos Saura.

The ensemble stands out for its freshness and proximity in its interpretation, for the space dedicated to improvisation and the recreation of music from different periods from a personal point of view. Thanks to this, Euskal Barrokensemble has won international criticism, as well as a large and heterodox audience, a fact that gives life and meaning to its live performances.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and pedagogue with an international career spanning decades, genres and continents. Recognized for his great versatility and deep emotional connection with music, he has become a key figure in both traditional and contemporary music. He studied the music of Kalotaszeg with the renowned Neti Sándor and the Magyar Nóta style of Budapest with the famous Horváth Béla, which has consolidated him as one of the most important current figures in the music of the Carpathian Basin. His album Fekete éjszaka, borulj a világra with The Budapest Gypsy Orchestra received a nomination for the Songlines Music Awards in 2015.

Born into a renowned Belgian family of manouche musicians, he is the son of singer and guitarist Vivi Limberger and grandson of violinist Piotto Limberger. Raised in a diverse musical environment —which included Django Reinhardt’s gypsy swing— he began performing solo at the age of eight, singing and playing flamenco. Throughout his career he has explored traditional musics from around the world, as well as contemporary composition, and has collaborated with prominent figures such as Dick Vanderharst, Koen De Cauter and Herman Schamp. He currently leads several projects, including I Silenti with Fabrizio Cassol, Les Violons de Bruxelles and The Viper Club.

Núria Rial studied singing and piano in Catalonia and trained with Kurt Widmer in Basel. In 2003 she received the “Preis der Helvetia Patria Jeunesse Stiftung” for her career as a singer. She has performed at the main European festivals and has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Ivan Fischer, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, René Jacobs and Gustav Leonhardt, as well as with several specialized ensembles: Concerto Köln, The English Concert, Il Giardino Armonico, Les Musiciens du Louvre and L’Arpeggiata. She has participated in outstanding opera productions such as Cavalli’s Eliogabalo at La Monnaie in Brussels, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in Berlin and Geneva, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Genoa.

Specialized in baroque repertoire but open to other genres, she has also performed contemporary opera, such as Golijov’s Ainadamar at the Teatro Real in Madrid. He maintains an intense activity in the field of chamber music with groups such as Il Pomo d’Oro, Café Zimmermann or the Nash Ensemble, and cultivates a wide repertoire in recital. With an extensive discography for labels such as Harmonia Mundi and, since 2009, exclusively for Sony Classical, he has received numerous awards, including those from Echo Klassik and the Orphée d’Or, consolidating himself as one of the most outstanding voices on the European scene.

After completing his classical guitar studies with Jordi Codina, he specialized in plucked string instruments with Xavier Díaz-Latorre (ESMUC), Massimiliano Toni (Novara) and Eduardo Egüez (Zurich). Since the beginning, he has collaborated with prominent early music ensembles such as Le Concert des Nations and Hespèrion XX, L’Arpeggiata, Early Opera Company, Cafe Zimmermann and Los Músicos de su Alteza, performing in prestigious international venues and recording for broadcasters and labels such as BBC, RNE, Warner, Sony and Alpha.

With an extensive discography, he has also developed personal projects such as Eternità d’Amore (2019) and Ad Álgea (2020), where he offers a new look at Handel and Purcell by adapting opera arias for theorbo. At the same time, he teaches with master classes at institutions such as the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, the Acadèmia de la Capella Reial de Catalunya and the Pôle des Arts Baroques in Toulouse.

French cellist, viola da gamba player and conductor, he began his musical training in Caen with Jacques Ripoche and later studied at the Paris Conservatory with André Navarra. At the age of 16 he obtained a scholarship to study in Vienna, where he came into contact with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a key figure in his orientation towards early music. Between 1978 and 1979 he studied viola da gamba at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Jordi Savall.

Since 1978 he has collaborated regularly with leading ensembles and has performed as a soloist with internationally renowned ensembles. In 1984 he founded the Ensemble Mosaïques, from which the Quatuor Mosaïques would emerge, and since 1991 he has directed the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges. Also interested in organological research and historical interpretation techniques, he has been a professor at the Schola Cantorum in Basel since 1988 and teaches cello and viola da gamba at the Paris Conservatory.

Since 2006, Waed Bouhassoun has pursued an international career as a musician, singer, oud player, composer and ethnomusicologist. Originally from southern Syria, she was born in a village near Soueida, into a family passionate about music. She soon opened herself to other musics beyond those of her native country, as she lived for two years in Yemen, where she discovered local music during encounters with other women. Continuing to practice her instrument, she later entered the Damascus Conservatory, which was then heavily influenced by Western music. She was able to take advantage of these diverse influences to create a personal style, while remaining faithful to the musical spirit of her country. Waed Bouhassoun has toured both solo and in groups throughout the Arab world, Europe, Canada, South Korea and Colombia. She has recorded four CDs as a soloist that have received various awards. At the same time, she regularly collaborates with Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespérion XXI. Still in terms of recognition, in 2018 she was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Minister of Culture Françoise Nyssen and in 2022, her thesis on the Middle East and the Muslim worlds was awarded.

Founded in 2021, it experiments with new concert formats, creates shows for children and integrates various art forms into its projects; with a constant and shared search for sound that goes beyond the individual virtuosity of its members, it conceives the shows with the stage in mind and wants to offer the listener new perspectives on a repertoire that spans the 17th to the 21st centuries. The ensemble often collaborates with composers and has already premiered works written especially for its training.

Its concert activity extends throughout Europe; it has performed, among others, at the Heidelberger Frühling, the Merano Music Festival or the Schlosskonzerte Kirchberg an der Jagst. For the 2023/2024 season it was selected as the resident ensemble of Rheinsberg Castle. In 2024 the ensemble received the #MusikerZukunft grant from the Deutsche Orchester-Stiftung for the conception and premiere of the audiovisual installation Il tempo perduto. The core of the ensemble is formed by Sophia Schambeck (recorders), Leon Serafin Jänicke (theorbo and baroque guitar), Mariona Mateu Carles (violon in G) and Rosalía Gomez Lasheras (harpsichord).

She is one of the most outstanding performers in our country. Her organ performances have been and continue to be a reference of the highest level, both for their academic rigor and for their warmth and musicality. In the sixties, she pioneered the renewal of a world of the organ that had entered into decline as a result of the post-war period, at a time when being an organist, and especially being a woman, meant swimming against the current. Even so, years later her legacy is enormous, and the organs she has played and the disciples she has had are innumerable.

The Creu de Sant Jordi, the National Music Prize and an Honorary Doctorate are some of the recognitions she has achieved, but the most extraordinary thing about Montserrat Torrent is that at 99 years old she continues with an unstoppable activity offering concerts and making recordings everywhere. A prodigy of nature that we can still enjoy.

Mireia Peñalver i Guilleumes is a cellist and viol player based between Barcelona and Berlin. She graduated cum laude in cello performance from the University of Groningen (NL) and with honours from a Master’s degree in viola da gamba at the Universität der Künste Berlin. She recently completed postgraduate studies in viola da gamba at the University Mozarteum Salzburg with Professor Vittorio Ghielmi. She has recently collaborated with the Fondation Royaumont (“Formation Polyphonies baroques italiennes” with Geoffroy Jourdain and Priscille Lafitte, “Formation Air de Cour” with Vincent Dumestre) and Les Arts Florissants. With the “Gardeners Ensemble”, she received the “Talent Generació SMADE” award at the Estella Early Music Week 2024 (ES), and as a member of the Daimona ensemble, she won 1st prize at the Biagio Marini Competition 2023 (DE).

Her professional career includes participation in classical, early music, jazz and electronic music festivals throughout Europe, both as a performer and as a creator, through a research-oriented approach to sound experimentation.

Santiago Gervasoni is a French-Argentine pianist, harpsichordist and composer based in Barcelona. A versatile musician, he develops his artistic universe through early, classical and contemporary music, as well as jazz and improvisation. After graduating in classical piano from the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin, he expanded his musical vocabulary by studying Baroque harpsichord at the Universität der Künste Berlin, where he obtained his Master’s degree in 2022. During his training, he was selected to participate in several projects organised by distinguished institutions, including the Eeemerging Academy at the CCR d’Ambronay under the direction of G. Jourdain (2021), the Fondazione Cini with A. Beyer (2020), and the Fondation Royaumont (2023). He regularly collaborates with Compagnie La Tempête and with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin as a continuo player. He is also the founder, keyboardist and composer of the early music quintet The Gardeners, which received the “Talento Generación SMADE” award at the Estella Early Music Week Festival 2024.

As a composer, Santiago Gervasoni has written more than 15 works for jazz trio, early-music ensemble, Latin American music group, and solo keyboard. His works have been performed in France, Germany and Spain at internationally renowned festivals such as Embar(o)quement Immédiat (FR), ECOS Festival (ES) and Alte Musik Fest Friedenau (DE), among others.

The Quatuor Mosaïques is the most prominent period instrument quartet active today. The ensemble has been praised for its unusual use of gut string instruments, which, combined with its celebrated musicianship, have shaped the group’s unique sound. The quartet has toured extensively, won numerous awards and built a considerable discography.

Founded in 1985, the group consists of Austrians Erich Höbarth (violin), Andrea Bischof (violin), Anita Mitterer (viola) and French cellist Christophe Coin. The quartet has performed in Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan, and regularly performs in Vienna, London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Berlin’s Philharmonie. The Quatuor Mosaïques frequently participate in prestigious European festivals such as those in Edinburgh, Salzburg, Lucerne, Bremen, Bath, Styriarte Graz, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and Oslo, among others.

William Shelton, Franco-British countertenor with a solid training in organ, horn and singing at the conservatories of Besançon and Dijon. He was a member of the first class of the Académie Philippe Jaroussky (2017) and between 2021 and 2024 was artist in residence at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. He has been awarded in numerous competitions, including first prize at the World Bach Competition and the audience prize at the prestigious Concours Corneille. He sings regularly with renowned ensembles such as Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale Gent (Philippe Herreweghe) and Pygmalion (Raphaël Pichon).

Elionor Martínez, Catalan soprano, one of the most outstanding and most prominent in the Baroque and Lied repertoire. She trained at the Liceu Conservatory with Dolors Aldea and completed a master’s degree summa cum laude at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel under the patronage of the Salvat Foundation. She won the Salvat Bach Scholarship 2016 and four special prizes at the Josep Palet Singing Competition in 2019. She has been selected as an ECHO Rising Star for the 2026-27 season. She is a regular member of the Capella Reial de Catalunya (Jordi Savall) and collaborates with groups such as Ensemble O Vos Omnes and Musica Ficta.

Both have shared the stage in large-scale productions led by Jordi Savall. Recently, in the summer of 2024, they debuted as a soloist pair at the Peralada Festival with the program “El foc i les llàgrimes de les muses” with Hespèrion XXI, performing madrigals and songs from the English Golden Age.

One of the most versatile keyboard players of our time, with mastery of the organ, harpsichord, fortepiano and modern piano. In her performances around the world she demonstrates a passionate personality, virtuosity, a great wealth of colors and a special sensitivity towards the wide repertoire she plays on these different keyboard instruments. From Bach and Beethoven on historical instruments to Ligeti on the contemporary piano, Olga Pashchenko has developed an intense and eclectic concert career as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

She regularly performs at festivals of early and contemporary music throughout Europe, has collaborated on numerous occasions with outstanding artists and conductors, has been a soloist with prestigious orchestras and maintains an intense activity in chamber music with renowned musicians. She combines her concert career with artistic residencies, a solid recording career with Alpha Classics and an outstanding pedagogical activity as a professor at the conservatories of Amsterdam and Ghent. Trained between Moscow and Amsterdam, she began her career early and has been involved in long-term projects for more than a decade, such as the interpretation and comprehensive recording of Mozart’s piano concertos.

Senegalese musician, composer and singer based in Catalonia; one of the most distinctive voices of a new generation of West African artists in Europe. Born in Casamance, into the renowned Cissokho griot family, he began playing the kora at the age of six and has since developed his own musical language that fuses Mandinka traditions with jazz, flamenco and classical music.

With a captivating stage presence and deep emotional expressiveness, he has toured throughout Europe and collaborated with artists such as Youssou N’Dour, Jordi Savall, Seckou Keita and Amaro Freitas. His latest album, KAIRO (2024), received the award for Best Album Not Sung in Catalan at the 2025 Enderrock Awards.