Jordi Savall

Spanish viol player and conductor Jordi Savall is recognised as one of the most versatile and creative performers in the field of early music. Born in 1941, he studied viol at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, later teaching at the Swiss institution. His prolific performing and recording activities have been marked by their chronological breadth and exploration of neglected repertories (notably the viol works of Marin Marais). In 1971 he founded Hespèrion with his wife, soprano Montserrat Figueras, giving colourful and vibrant performances of instrumental music from the Middle Ages to Bach; the Capella Reial de Catalunya followed in 1987, covering medieval and Renaissance vocal music and Baroque choral works as ambitious as Biber’s 54-part Missa Salisburgensis. With the Concert des Nations, who formed in 1989, Savall has explored Baroque and Classical orchestral works including a complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies. His award-winning soundtrack to Alain Corneau’s film Tous Les Matins Du Monde (1992) brought his work to a wider audience.