The first meeting of the 2023/2024 season brought us back to Spain for a little less than a week. On 14 and 15 November we landed in Barcelona from our residences in Helsinki, Maastricht and Zürich, ready to rehearse the new repertoire. The protagonist of this new adventure was the premiere work Resiliència by the Catalan composer Salvador Brotons, who composed for us after our commission with the financial support of the Instituto Nacional de Artes Escénicas y Música. The towns of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada (Catalonia) and Daimús (Valencia) hosted this premiere in an experience that we have lived with great enthusiasm, effort and joy.
On Wednesday 15th November we started our music again, in a short but intense rehearsal that gave us an overview of the work to be done the next day. Of course, between rehearsals, we were lucky enough to enjoy the warmth and the incredible dishes that Eva and Jordi, Miquel's parents, prepared for us. Thank you very much for take care of us!
Thursday was an intense day of preparation and study. We could talk live on Radio Molins, the local radio station in the town of our baritone Miquel, who welcomed us to present our project and the premiere of Salvador Brotons. Here is a link to the interview. Thank you for having us on your programme!
On Friday 17th November we woke up with our sights set on the concert at 20:00h in the auditorium of the School of Music of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada. But before the premiere and to polish the last details of the work Resiliència, we went to the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, in Barcelona, to meet Salvador Brotons, who listened to us and gave us interesting advice about his work. Thank you, Salvador, for composing this work for saxophone quartet and inspiring us with your great energy!
In Sant Joan de Vilatorrada we find ourselves in a familiar setting and it brought us very good memories. Just over two years ago we won first prize in the XIV Pòdiums de Música a la Cambra in the same place; a chamber music competition that was, at that time, a great dose of motivation for us. It was a real pleasure to return to that place and play for familiar faces (Hugo's cousin, Miquel's family and even Jaime's parents, who came from Galicia to see us) and new ones. Thanks to the town council of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and the music school for counting on us once again and receiving our proposal with open arms. We'll be back!
We used Saturday 18th November to recover our strength and get ready for the trip and the concert on Sunday in Daimús. In spite of that, we had a meeting and a small rehearsal to give our best the next day: for the first time, we would play in Sira's village! There, her family welcomed us and accompanied us in a really special concert, in which a lot of friends and family filled the local auditorium. Thanks to the Daimús Town Council for welcoming our proposal and supporting our project to the maximum. See you soon!
On Monday we set off for our cities of resilience (of residence, sorry) saying goodbye to the Mediterranean light that we love so much. Once again, we said goodbye with the illusion of seeing each other again and with the feeling of having grown a little more. This doesn't stop!
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