I started studying percussion at the age of eight at the Conservatory of Palma. Pulled by the cultural attractions of Barcelona, I decided to study classical and contemporary percussion at the Esmuc. It is in this center where I discover and become interested in other music such as jazz and traditional music, as well as disciplines such as composition and improvisation. So much so that, at the end of the degree, I start and finish the Barcelona Jazz Master in composition under the guidance of Lluís Vidal. My career has led me to take part in numerous and diverse projects ranging from chamber to symphonic music, jazz orchestras, music for dance or theatre, pop, traditional music, etc. My compositions have been performed in Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the United States.
As a composer I was awarded with the 1st prize of the KUG Jazz Comp 2021 (Austria) for my piece The Properties of Rubber and with the Núvol’s Ruta del Jazz price (Spain) for the album Blau Salvatge (2020). In 2019 I presented Blau Salvatge, my first project as a composer and band leader. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign involving over 150 sponsors, we were able to record the album, which was released in 2020, while I continued my studies in composition at the HKB in Bern, with Martin Streule, Django Bates and Stefan Schultze. I have written commissioned works for Staatstheater Braunschweig (2023), Kebyart Ensemble (2022), among others. I have had the opportunity to be academician of the Balearic Symphony Orchestra (2016-2017), as a guest artist at the SICMF 16’ (South Africa) and Cistermusica 16’ (Portugal) with the percussion duo Face two Phase, with which we won the first prize at the 4th edition of CIMCA (International Chamber Music Competition Cidade Alcobaça, Portugal).
I currently work as a freelance composer, musician and producer while continuing to develop my own projects such as Blau Salvatge and Alanaire. I am also performing and composing for the dance company GN|MC and with the theater company Atzar.
David Puertas Esteve, son and brother of musicians, was born in Barcelona in the year 1969. He studied flute, tabor pipe and composition at the Council’s Superior Conservatory of Music of Barcelona and also the Superior Conservatory of the Opera House El Liceu. He has also a BA in Information Science by the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
He has been awarded several times as a composer, in different competitions to do with traditional and popular music: the Mollet award for Sardana Modal, the Pallars award for Ball de Gegants de La Pobla de Segur, the Figueres award for Ball dels Gegants Dalí i Gala, etc. One has to mention, among his many commissions, the harmonization for El Cant dels ocells for string quartet for the presentation of the Forum of Cultures 2004 for Barcelona’s Town Hall, piece which has been edited by Clivis Publicacions.
He has been producer for the Ràdio 4 programme Fes ta Festa and has been responsible for musical documentation for the Symphonic Orchestra of Barcelona as well as the National Orchestral of Catalonia. Today he teaches music at the Institute of Can Puig in Sant Pere de Ribes.
He is the author of the book Música encreuada. Els enigmes musicals and 5 Sidoku books (musical Sudoku) together with his brother Bernat. Three of these books have been published by Clivis Publicacions and the other two have been published in German by Schott Musik Verlag.
Pere J. Puértolas was born in 1949. He attended the Conservatori de Música del Liceu, Where he studied for the violin under F. Guerin, chamber music under Maria Canela and took various courses to further hone his technique under the violinist Antoni Brossa and the pianist Rosa Sabater.
In 1969 he won a place as violinist in the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, as well as graduating in Hispanic Romance Philology and History of Art from the Universitat Central de Barcelona. In 1983 he was awarded the grade of Excellent by the University of Granada for his work in their postgraduate Contemporary Art courses. In 1978, he joined the Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona. Later he was appointed as violin teacher and, subsequently, worked as the orquestra’s Head of Press and Public Relations. Since 1990, he has dedicated his life exclusively to the tasks of musical composition and direction.
His first works were composed for the stage and screen, and were especially aimed at the younger audience: they include the musical comedies Supertot i Helena a l’illa de baró Zodiac, With lyrics by Josep M. Benet i Jornet, El Gran Claus i el Petit Claus, based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, Contes a la vora del foc, on Catalan folk tales, L’auca del marrec tossut, by Carme Barberà, and many other pieces for the theatre, the cinema and dance.
His output includes chamber pieces such as solos, duos, trios, quartets, etc. amongst witch we would highlight Pinewood Waltz, for drums, the Quartets de Corda (String Quartets) numbers 1 and 2, Sonatina and Drums and Woods, both for percussion quartets and the Sextet Opus 49, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola and cello. He has also written orchestral pieces, such as the Suite Renard for a string orchestra, the symphonic work Concert per a Percussió i Orquestra Simfònica and Fanfara per a una Ciutat (Barcelona 2001), for a bras and percussion orchestra.
His works have been interpreted an numerous occasions in Spain and beyond, to great public and critical acclaim.
Maria Rosa Ribas i Monné (Barcelona, 1944 - 2024)
She held teaching positions at the Barcelona Conservatory of Music and the Victoria de los Ángeles School of Music in Sant Cugat del Vallès.
Ribas musical journey began at the Conservatory of Barcelona, where she honed her skills in piano, guitar, solfège, and composition. She was fortunate to learn under the tutelage of renowned maestros such as Sofia Puche, Josep Poch, Xavier Montsalvatge, and Antoni Ros Marbà. Her exposure to contemporary music was further enriched by Carles Guinovart, and she received specialized training in lied accompaniment from Professor Paul Schilhawsky. Her dedication to continuous learning led her to pursue various courses and seminars with esteemed musicians like Rosalyn Tureck, Dimitri Baskiroff, Frederic Gevers, Paul Badura Skoda, and Witold Lutoslawsky.
Ribas artistic endeavors encompassed both performance and composition. As a pianist, she formed a duo with soprano Maria Àngels Miró, showcasing a particular affinity for contemporary Catalan music. Her compositions have graced concert halls across Europe, extending to Mexico, Japan, and the United States. In 2010, her album "Les ales del vent" (The Wings of the Wind) was released, featuring her musical interpretations of poems by the Lleida-born poet Màrius Torres.
Her compositional talents were recognized through various accolades, including the “Francesc Basil Award” and the “Caterina Albert Award” bestowed by the Associació Catalana de la Dona (Catalan Women's Association). In 2009, she emerged victorious at the first Concurs de Dones Compositores (Women Composers' Competition) in Sant Cugat del Vallès with her piece "12 Haikús Japoneses" (12 Japanese Haikus).