As part of his visit to the Royal Academy of Music where he will be leading a workshop for composition students, Benet Casablancas - one of Spain's leading contemporary composers - will also offer a presentation of his latest CD collaboration with the London Sinfonietta under the baton of Félix Krieger for the SONY label - a project marking the orchestra's 50th anniversary. Casablancas will discuss the various contexts of the works presented, along with their technical and aesthetic aspects, to include: Dove of Peace (Homage to Picasso), Four Darks in Red (after Rothko), “... der graue Wald sich unter ihm schüttelte” (Nachtmusik, after Georg Büchner's Lenz), Chamber Concert No. 2 for Horn & Ensemble, Octet, Mokusei Gardens (Homage to Cees Nooteboom), and Dance, Song and Celebration (Homage to Xavier Montsalvatge).

Following on from her world premiere of Dos páginas para Granados by Benet Casablancas at Echoes Festival 2016, Catalan pianist, RAM graduate and international prize-winner, María Canyigueral, returns to her alma mater to round off the talk with a short performance of Casablancas' selected solo piano works, including a UK premiere. Maria collaborates frequently with Spanish composers, and in the UK she has premiered pieces by Antón García Abril, Victor Estapé and Josep Maria Guix, amongst others.

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Benet Casablancas Sí, a Montsalvatge! | Dos páginas para Granados Haiku for the London Sinfonietta (UK premiere) | Una página para Chopin

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Benet Casablancas speaker

María Canyigueral piano
 

Presented by ILAMS and the Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Music