Ever since its foundation in 1987, the Capella de Ministrers ensemble, directed by Carles Magraner, has developed an important investigative and musicological task in favour of the musical Spanish patrimony, from the medieval times up to the 19th century. The result transformed into musical testimony, brings together the perfection of three key factors: the historical rigor, the musical sensibility and, specially, an uncontrollable desire to communicate and they make us participants of these experiences.
The ensemble has performed numerous concerts since its foundation and has played in the best music venues in Spain: the Auditorio Nacional de España, Palau de la Música de Valencia, Palau de la Música Catalana, Auditorio de León, Teatro de La Maestranza, El Escorial, Centro Conde Duque, Auditorio de Castellón, Teatro Cervantes… t has also participated in numerous festivals, such as the Festival de Música Antiga with the recuperation of the opera Los elementos by Antonio Literes), the Festival de Teatro Clásico de Almagro, the Festival de Peralada, the Quinzena Musical Donostiarra, Los Veranos de la Villa (Madrid), the Festival Grec (Barcelona), the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada and the Festival de Música Religiosa de Cuenca, Serenates a la Universitat (Valencia), Festival Are More (Vigo), Festival Medieval de Elche, International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam, etc..
The group has also performed outside Spain, particularly in France, Belgium, Rumania, Portugal, Holland, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Morocco, England, Poland, Tunisia, Chile, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Finland, Austria, Cuba, Croazia, China, Algeria, Sweden, Norway, Japan, etc. In May 2008 Capella de Ministrers participated in the inauguration of the “Casa de la Lengua Española en Rodas”, chaired by His Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain. The group took part in the same year in the official acts that took place in the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet to commemorate the 800th Anniversary of the birth of James I of Aragon.
As a result of their study and recovery of early music, the ensemble has produced an extensive discography for EGT, Blau, Audivis and CDM, the latter being Capella de Ministrers’ own label. The group has been awarded numerous prizes from the specialised press as well as other awards, including best recording production from the Ministry of Culture and the “Importante” award from Editorial Prensa Valenciana as well as diverse record prizes, the Civic Prize 2008 of Almussafes – Ribera Baixa, Difusión Prize Plaça del Llibre 2017, Bankia Award to Valencian Professional Music Ensemble and the Mediterranew Musix Has been winner two times of International Classical Music Award (ICMA) with Quattrocento (2018) and with El collar de la paloma (best Early Music recording 2023) and finalist Super Lamentationes 2021 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) Carles Santos best heritage recovery album, and finalist in this award in 2019 and 2020. Has won Menkes the 2020 best dance show category of Sala Russafa for A Circle in the Water ward, 2022 Best Spanish Early Music Group Press Award and Honour Medal by Consell Valencià de Cultura en 2023. Capella de Ministrers is member of GEMA, Asociación de Grupos Españoles de Música Antigua (Spanish Early Music Groups Association)
Capella de Ministrers activities reach beyond music and into the world of scenic arts, having collaborated with the film and theatre directors Alex Rigola, Juli Leal, Vicent Genovés, Jaume Martorell and Bigas Luna, the choreographer Santiago Sempere, as well as musicians from other disciplines, such as Joan Enric Lluna and Miguel Marín. Capella de Ministrers has premiered the stage version of the zarzuela La Madrileña by Vicente Martín y Soler, the first Spanish Sacred Oratorio, and a historical approach to the interpretation of drama in two parts for the Festivity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin of Elche. Their performance of El Cant de la Sibil.la was included in the Bigas Luna film, Son de Mar. His music from Cant de la Sibil-la forms part of the soundtrack of the film Son de mar by Bigas Luna. In 2003, Capella de Ministrers participated in Luna’s adaptation of the Comedias Bárbaras by Valle-Inclan for the closing performance of the Valencia Biennal. LThe music of the album A Circle in the Water is the original soundtrack of film El cercle en l’aigua, directed by Vicent Monsonís, based in La Estancia play by Chema Cardeña.
Institutional support from the Institut Valencià de Cultura of the Generalitat Valenciana and the INAEM of the Ministry of Culture has made it possible to disseminate the recordings and concerts on a national and international level. The Universitat de València, for its part, sponsors the activities of research, recovery and dissemination of the musical heritage carried out by Capella de Ministrers.
