25th International Festival “The Days of Organ – Dies orgranorum”: JUAN DE LA RUBIA
Titular organist at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Juan de la Rubia has performed in prominent venues such es Palau de la Música Catalana, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Auditorium of the Maison de Radio France in Paris, Mariinsky Theatre, and Philharmonia in St. Petersburg. At the concert in Belgrade festival “The Days of Organ” he will present himself as a virtuous, arranger and improviser. The concert is supported by the Instituto Cervantes in Belgrade and Acción Cultural Española (AC/E).
Program:
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759)
Ouverture from oratorio Samson, HWV 57 (transcription: Juan de la Rubia)
Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
Variations sur un thème de Clément Janequin, JA 118
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564
Philip Glass (1937)
Mad Rush
Charles Tournemire (1870–1939)
Chorale Improvisation on Victimae Paschali
Juan de la Rubia (1982)
Improvisation
Biography:
Juan de la Rubia, titular organist at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, hails from Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). He began his training under the guidance of his father and Ricardo Pitarch. His artistic education developed in various European capitals under the mentorship of distinguished teachers, including Óscar Candendo, Wolfgang Seifen, Michel Bouvard, and Montserrat Torrent. He also received instruction from Olivier Latry and Ton Koopman. The extraordinary awards he received upon completing his studies and first prizes in the Permanent Competition of Juventudes Musicales de España and the Primer Palau significantly influenced the beginning of his career.
He performs in prominent venues in over thirty countries around the world, such as the Palau de la Música Catalana, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Auditorium of the Maison de Radio France in Paris, Mariinsky Theatre, and Philharmonia in St. Petersburg. He has also performed in renowned cathedrals such as those in Cologne, Berlin, Westminster, Vienna, Geneva, Bogotá, Mexico City, Tunis, and in the church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.
De la Rubia has performed as a soloist and conductor with orchestras such as the National Orchestra of Spain, RTVE Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestras of Galicia, Principality of Asturias, Castilla y León, and the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, among other distinguished ensembles. He has collaborated with conductors such as François-Xavier Roth, Salvador Mas, Simon Rattle, Pablo González and Thierry Fischer.
In the field of historically informed performance, he has worked with Les Siècles and has conducted the Freiburger Barockorchester, the Baroque Orchestra of Tenerife, and recently, he has driven the creation of his own orchestra: the Orquestra del Miracle, receiving excellent reception from both the public and critics in its debut in June 2023.
Additionally, he has collaborated with soloists such as Philippe Jaroussky – with whom he recorded the CD “Sacred Cantatas” (Erato, 2016), nominated for a Grammy Award, and Marco Mezquida with whom he developed the improvisation project Bach&Forward.
De la Rubia has also specialized in improvisation over silent films (Faust, Nosferatu, Metropolis, The General, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).
His discography includes notable recordings dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio de Cabezón – with the Hauslaib claviorgan (1590) from the Museu de la Música de Barcelona – and recently, a recording made on the organ of the Bogotá Cathedral.
A member of the Reial Acadèmia de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi and Professor at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya.
foto by May Zircus