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Artists - Jordi Savall

Jordi Savall

Gambist, Director and Musicologist
Igualada, 1941

Jordi Savall is one of the most versatile musical personalities of his generation. For more than fifty years, he has rescued musical gems from the obscurity of neglect and oblivion and given them back for all to enjoy. A tireless researcher into early music, he interprets and performs the repertory both as a gambist and a conductor. His activities as a concert performer, teacher, researcher and creator of new musical and cultural projects have made him a leading figure in the reappraisal of historical music. Together with Montserrat Figueras, he founded the ensembles Hespèrion XXI (1974), La Capella Reial de Catalunya (1987) and Le Concert des Nations (1989), with whom he explores and creates a world of emotion and beauty shared with millions of early music enthusiasts around the world.

Jordi Savall has recorded and released more than 230 discs covering the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music repertories, with a special focus on the Hispanic and Mediterranean musical heritage, receiving many awards and distinctions such as the Midem Classical Award, the International Classical Music Award and the Grammy Award. His concert programmes have made music an instrument of mediation to achieve understanding and peace between different and sometimes warring peoples and cultures. Accordingly, guest artists appearing with his ensembles include Arab, Israeli, Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Afghan, Mexican and North American musicians. In 2008 Jordi Savall was appointed European Union Ambassador for intercultural dialogue and, together with Montserrat Figueras, was named “Artist for Peace” under the UNESCO “Good Will Ambassadors” programme.

Between 2020 and 2021, to mark Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary, he conducted the complete symphonies with Le Concert des Nations and recorded them in 2 CDs entitled Beethoven Révolution. The impact they have had in the record market worldwide has been defined as “a miracle” (Fanfare), and volume II has been distinguished with the Schallplattenkritik Prize for the best orchestral record.

Jordi Savall’s prolific musical career has brought him the highest national and international distinctions, including honorary doctorates from the Universities of Evora (Portugal), Barcelona (Catalonia), Louvain (Belgium) and Basel (Switzerland), the order of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (France), the Praetorius Music Prize awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of Lower Saxony, the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Helena Vaz da Silva Award and the prestigious Léonie Sonning Prize, which is considered the Nobel prize of the music world. This year, he has been elected Honorary Member by the Royal Philharmonic Society, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and la Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

  • Prize “Tarradellas Persevera” of Ajuntament de Cervelló (2022)
  • Distinguished as a Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society (2022).
  • Honorary Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (2022).
  • Honorary Member of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (2022).
  • Helpmann Award (2018) for Best Instrumental Ensemble Concert Category in the Festival de Perth (Australia). The tour presented the program “Folias Antiguas & Criollas” with Hespèrion XXI and the Tembembe Ensamble Continuo.
  • Prize Pau Casals of the Govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2017).
  • Prize Ciutat de Barcelona in the category of international promotion for his international activities and concerts to support the refugees (March, 2017).
  • Prize Jurica Murai for the best performance by Jordi Savall for the viola recital offered in Croatia in September 24th 2016 in the Ursuline Church, given by the Festival de Baroque Vespers of Varazdin (Croatia).
  • Doctor Honoris Causa for Utrecht University (Holand) in 2016.
  • Gold Medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid (2015).
  • Gold Medal of the Mèrit Cultural de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona (July, 2015).
  • Prize Helena Vaz da Silva 2015 at the headquarters of the Fundació Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisboa), a prize that recognizes artists that protect and promote the European culture.
  • Helpmann Awards 2014 for best concert of Chamber Music or Instrumental Ensemble for the concert “Jerusalem” at the Melbourne Recital Centre and at the Sydney Opera House, and it recognizes the value of performed music that pursue more than 3 thousand years of history.
  • Gold Medal of the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014).
  • Prize Atlántida of Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya (2013).
  • Doctor Honoris Causa for the University of Basel (Switzerland), 2013.
  • 13th Annual Helpmann Awards in the category of “Best Chamber &/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert” for the concert Jordi Savall & Andrew Lawrence-King held at Melbourne Recital Centre (2013).
  • York Early Music Festival Lifetime Achievement Award (2012).
  • Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2012 given by The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation in Denmark (2012).
  • Commandeur dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier dans l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur from the French Republic (2011) (Speech by Frédéric Mitterrand).
  • Grammy Award for the book-CD Dinastia Borgia in the category of Best Small Ensemble Performance (2011). It has also received the International Classical Music Awards 2011 (ICMA) in the “Early Music” category.
  • Best Performer in Classical Music of the Real Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Premios de la Música (15ª Edition) for the CD The Celtic Viol II (2011).
  • Best Performer of Classical Music of the Real Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias-Premios de la Música (14ª Edició) for the CD The Celtic Viol (2010).
  • Praetorius Musikpreis Niedersachsen 2010 from Ministery of Culture and Science from Lower Saxony in the category of “Internationaler Friedensmusikpreis” (Prize International of Music for Peace, 2010).
  •  International Prize Unescocat with Montserrat Figueras (2009).
  • Prix Méditerranée del Centre Méditerranéen de Littérature in Perpignan with Montserrat Figueras (2009).
  • National Prize of Music given by the Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts de Catalunya (2009), for his professional career and for his book-CD Jerusalem: la Ciutat de les dues paus.
  • Prize Händelpreis der Stadt Halle 2009 in Germany.
  • Ambassador in year 2009 of creativity and innovation for the European Union.
  • Ambassador of the European Union for the Intercultural Dialog and Artist for Peace in the program “Ambassadors of Good Will” from the UNESCO (2008).
  • Doctor Honoris Causa for the University of Évora (Portugal) in 2007.
  • Doctor Honoris Causa for the University of Barcelona in 2006.
  • Gold Medal of the Parlament de Catalunya (2003).
  • Victoire d’honneur at the Victoires de la musique classique for the global of his career (2002).
  • Doctor Honoris Causa for the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) in 1999.
  • Honorary Member of the Konzerthaus of Viena (1999).
  • Honorary Prize of Fundació Jaume I from Valencia (1999).
  • Gold Medal in Fine Arts from the Spanish Ministery of Culture and Education (1998).
  • Premio Fondazione Giorgio Cini de Venècia (1995)
  • Instrumental Soloist of the Year at Victoires de la musique classique (1993)
  • Nominated “Musician of the Year” for Le Monde de la Musique (1992)
  • Prize “César” for the best soundtrack in Tous les Matins du monde (1992).
  • Creu de Sant Jordi de la Generalitat de Catalunya (1990).
  • Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture (1988).

His so important discography, with more than 200 recordings in different record labels such EMI, ASTREE/AUVIDIS and ALIA VOX, has received also many distinctions among those are:

  • The book-CD Guerre et Paix 1614-1715 (Alia Vox, 2015) has received the International Classical Music Award 2016 in the category of “Best Collection”.
  • The book-CD Bal-Kan. Honey and Blood, Cycles of Life has received the International Classical Music Awards 2015 in the category “Early Music” (Read more)
  • The book-CD Erasmus van Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly has received the International Classical Music Awards 2014 in the category of “Early Music” (Read more)
  • The CD J. Ph. Rameau: L’Orchestre de Louis XV (Alia Vox 2011) has received the International Classical Music Awards 2012 in the category of “Baroque Instrumental” (Read more)
  • The book-CD Dinastia Borgia has received the Grammy Award 2011 in the category of Best Small Ensemble Performance and International Classical Music Awards 2011 (ICMA) in the category of “Early Music” (Read more)
  • The book-CD Jérusalem. La Ville des deux Paix: La Paix céleste et la Paix terrestre, has received in 2008 the Prize “Orphée d’Or de l’Académie du disque lyrique”, the “Caecilia Prix” as the best record of the year for the Belgian press and the “Midem Classical Award 2010”.
  • In 2008, the album Christophorus Columbus. Paraísos perdidos received the prize of Ancient Music from the Midem Classical Awards.
  • The album Don Quijote de la Mancha: Romances y Músicas was distinguished in 2006 with the Midem Classical Awards. And also, this album was one of the five nominated at the Grammy Awards 2006 in Los Angeles (USA).
  • Midem Classical Awards (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010).
  • In 2003, he received the Prize of the German critic, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
  • “César” for the best soundtrack of the film Tous les Matins du monde (1992)
  • Grand Prix de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque (1992)
  • Prix de l’Académie du Disque Lyrique (1990)
  • Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros (1989 and 1993)
  • Grand Prix de l’Académie du Disque Français (1988 – 1989)
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