Mestres Quadreny, Josep M.

Josep M. Mestres Quadreny was born in Manresa (Barcelona) in 1929. He studied sciences at Barcelona University and music with Cristofor Taltabull. He soon felt committed to the music of his time and put a great deal of effort into promoting and diffusing new music. With this in mind, he has been the co-founder of different institutions and instrumental groups such as Música Oberta in the bosom of CLUB 49, of the Conjunt Català de Música Contemporània, the Laboratori de Música Electroacústica Phonos and the Grup Instrumental Català (GIC). In 1952 he joined the Cercle Manuel de Falla, and from 1977 until 1979 he was president of the Catalan Association of Composers.
His music has developed, as he has constantly renewed ideas and progressively incorporated new techniques, often taken from other fields of artistic creation and present-day scientific knowledge. Not dogmatic by nature, his field of exploration is very extensive and ranges from works performed only for the public, such as Self service, to computer-composed works, covering a wide range of works for orchestra, chamber groups such as Vara per Quatre for eight-hand piano, solo pieces such as Tres peces per guitarra, and stage music. He has collaborated with the poet Joan Brossa on several works such as Acció Musical per a Joan Miró, Suite Bufa, L’armari en el mar, and the opera Cap de mirar.