Charles, Agustí

Born in Manresa, Agustí Charles began his music studies at an early age. His first works in composition date from the 80s, under the guidance of his first composition teachers: Miquel Roger, Albert Sardà and Josep Soler. Later he studied with Franco Donatoni, Luigi Nono and Samuel Adler, as well as working with other composers and conductors including Joan Guinjoan, Cristóbal Halffter, J.R. Encinar and Ros Marbà. 

He has had much recognition for his work, receiving nearly fifty awards, among these are the most important national and international composition prizes. He has also received commissions from important institutions and prestigious performers, as a result of which his music is performed worldwide. His work “Seven looks” was awarded the prize of the Association of Spanish Symphonic Orchestras (AEOS) and has been played by all the major Spanish orchestras between the 2004 and 2008 seasons. His first opera “La Cuzzoni, esperpent d’una veu”, was premiered in October 2007 at the Darmstadt Staatstheater in Germany with great success. Recently, in 2008, the Italian Stradivarius Records Co. has published a new monographic CD with part of his orchestral work, played by the Orchestra of the Community of Madrid and directed by José Ramón Encinar. The Tritó Records Company edited a new monographic CD in 2010 with the Symphonic Orchestra of Barcelona and National of Catalunya, directed by Jaime Martin. In March 2011 the premiere of his second opera, “Lord Byron, un estiu sense estiu”, will take place in the Staatstheater of Darmstadt, Germany. The libretto is by Marc Rosich with stage direction by Alfonso Romero Mora. At August 2012, primered his third opera JAVA SUITE, in the Perelada Festival (Girona, Spain)

He is also author of texts and books related to musical composition and analysis, among which stand out the following: “Análisis de la música española del siglo XX (2002)”, “Dodecafonismo y serialismo en España” (2005), “Instrumentación y orquestación clásica y contemporánea” (2005).

At the present time he teaches composition, occupying the chair in composition at the Superior  Conservatory  of Music of Aragón (Spain), and now he is the Director of the same Conservatory.