Joan Albert Amargós

Composers

Joan Albert Amargós

Composer and director born in Barcelona. Piano and clarinet instrumentalist, he has composed chamber and symphonic works. The use of melody, rhythmic counterpoint, and the use of fully extended harmony are his preferences. His role as arranger and composer in the world of jazz and flamenco also stands out in his work. He has won ten times (between 1999 and 2011), the award for best arranger in Spain, awarded by the Academy of Music.

Foto: ©Ferran Sendra

In 2002, the Generalitat de Catalunya awarded him the National Music Prize for the opera Eurídice y los titeres de Caronte, produced by Òpera de Butxaca i Nova Creació, and for the project Flamenco en orquesta. He also won the City of Barcelona Prize the same year for the premiere of his Concierto para trombón bajo y orquesta (Concerto for bass trombone and orchestra).

He was nominated for the 2008 Grammy Awards in the category of “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” for the work Northern Concerto for flute and symphonic orchestra. For this same work he received the “Best Classical Music Author” award at the 2008 “Music Awards”.

In April 2010, his concert for two pianos and orchestra entitled Paisajes Sonoros de España (Soundscapes of Spain) was premiered at the Madrid Auditorium with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (OCNE) under the direction of Josep Pons. The soloist part was performed by the pianists Katia and Marielle Labêque.

He has collaborated with the most important artists of all genres (Joan Manuel Serrat, Miguel Poveda, Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, Plácido Domingo, Alfredo Kraus, Paco de Lucía, Camarón de la Isla, Vince Mendoza, Vicente Amigo, Mayte Martín, Noa, Pedro Guerra, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Enrique y Estrella Morente, Marina Heredia, Barbara Hendricks and a long etc.), as well as collaborations as conductor with some of the best European and American orchestras.

Opera (works in the catalog of Editorial Mondigromax):

Eurídice y los títeres de Caronte (Eurídice and the puppets of Caronte) (2001), for 3 voices and chamber orchestra

Saló d’Anubis o l’Acadèmia de Lilí&Danté (The Salon of Anubis or the Academy of Lilí&Danté ) (2007), for 4 voices and chamber orchestra

Catalogue of his most important works:

Chamber music:

Música per a arpa (Music for harp) (1996)

Tango català (Catalan Tango) (1996), for flute and guitar

Homenatge a Lorca (Homage to Federico García Lorca (1998), for alto sax and piano

Allegro festivo (Festive Allegro) (1999), for violin and piano

En el aire (In the air) (2003), for violin and piano

Atlantic trio (2003), for violin, clarinet and piano

L’assemblea dels infants (Children’s Assembly) (2004), cantata for children and 9 instruments

Retrats (Portraits) (2007), for piano

Duetto festivo (Festive Duet) (2009), for viola and piano

Retrat de Chopin (Portrait of Chopin) (2010), for piano

Concert exprés (Express concert) (2017), for solo flute and instrumental ensemble

Quintet “for my eternal love” (2019), for string quartet and piano

Orchestra:

Concert per a clarinet i orquestra (Concert for clarinet and orchestra) (1995)

Danza de Equus (Dance of Equus) (1994)

Concert per a trombó baix i orquestra (Concert for bass trombone and orchestra (2001)

Northern Concerto (for recorder and orchestra) (2005), for flute and orchestra

Pax Haganum (2006)

Homenatge a Michael Brecker (2008), for alto sax and orchestra

Paisajes sonoros de España (Soundscapes of Spain) (2009), for two pianos and orchestra

Siete canciones españolas (Seven Spanish Songs) (2010), for singer (mezzo) and orchestra

Concert exprés (Express concert) (2018) for transverse flute and small orchestra

Concert exprés (Express concert) (2022) version for transverse flute and symphony orchestra

Orchestra and choir:

Cantata de la terra (Earth Cantata) (1993)

Requiem (1994), ballet

Milenarium (2003)

Planetarium (1992)

Big band:

Hasta siempre, Jaco (Goodbye, Jaco) (1988)

Flash Mompou (1997)

Big band and symphony orchestra:

Transformacions (Transformations) (2002)

Symphonic Band:

Concert popular (Popular concert) (1983)

Jocs temàtics (Thematic Games) (2011)

Banda Ampla (Band guide for young people and adults) (2018)

Cobla:

Variants de color (Color Variants) (2002)

Cobla and other instruments:

Simfonieta concertant (2007), for cobla, piano, violin, cello and percussion

Joan Albert Amargós Music You tube

Foto: @Ferran Sendra