NEOCANTES
Founded more than 20 years ago by Germán Torrellas, Neocantes is one of the leading ensembles in Spanish scene. The quality of their performances has put them, in words of some critics, on the same level as the best string quartets.
Formed as a vocal group, which was for about 15 years a reference in Spain, giving some times more than 100 concerts a year, visiting more than 30 countries and performing all around the world, in 1999 this ensemble began to walk a new way.
Neocantes was then transformed in a vocal-instrumental ensemble, with Ingartze Astuy as vocal soloist, the young Germán Torrellas Paz to violoncello and Germán Torrellas himself playing viola da gamba, recorder and baroque guitar.
This combination opened an incredible fan of possibilities, Neocantes started to reconsider all the music they had done, at the same time they discovered new composers to perform. Far from which we had always called “ancient music style”, they began to look back into Spanish popular music, trying also not to forget, but to improve their classical training, in order to give the more personal, intellectual, creative and truthful music they could.
Since 1999, Neocantes has presented new programs, such as “Ancient Spanish songs”, “The music of José Español”, “Music, mystic and poetry”, “The music of El Quijote”, "Flee from the bow of love!" or "Humane music, divine words". They have also performed special programs, such as "O Crux benedicta", a request from Santander International Music Festival, or a monographic devoted to the figure of Blas de Castro, a request from March Foundation. They have given concerts all around Spain, being present in many festivals such as Santander International Music Festival, Ancient Music Festivals in Vitoria, Sajazarra, Cáceres, Murcia and Alburquerque, "Classics in Summer" and "Sacred Art" festivals in Madrid, Bilbao Ars Sacrum Festival, etc. They have also been present in concert cycles in La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha, Asturias, Aragón, Valencia, Extremadura, Cataluña and Andalucía. In 2000 they made a tour through United States and Canada, visiting places as Washington, Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec, always receiving the best welcome from the audience. Recently, they participated in the Classical Music Festival in Palermo (Italy), promoted by the Cervantes Institute.
In the last years NEOCANTES has also made a great effort to bring classical music to the youngest audience, with educational programs such as "Who invented classical music?", and "Watch and play", a singular exhibition in which participants get in contact with more than a hundred musical instruments thay can touch and play by themselves. More than 200.000 children and teenagers have discovered music through these programs.
Neocantes has also released some recordings: "Ancient Spanish Songs", a journey from Renaissance to XVIIIth century; "In love but discreet", music for the play by Lope de Vega and "Humane music, divine words", songs from Spanish Renaissance ang Golden Age. In september 2010 will be available their new recording, a monographic on José Español, commissioned by the Spanish Musicological Society.
LINK TO CONCERT PROGRAMS
