Cellist and viola da gamba player Carles Magraner (Almussafes, 1962) is the founder and director of the early and baroque music group Capella de Ministrers, about to celebrate 37 years of fruitful activity. With 67 recordings, he is an undisputed international reference. Recently, he performed a concert at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, as part of the events of the Spanish presidency of the European Union, and the Valencian Council of Culture has awarded him its Gold Medal. Magraner talks about the historical places in Valencia, which, with its musical heritage, would make a music and heritage festival desirable. “Valencia has a unique Golden Age,” he asserts. He speaks with passion, and at a moment in the conversation, he asks the interviewer that when referring to Capella de Ministrers, not to use the plural. He emphasizes that he himself conceives the projects and recruits instrumentalists and singers for each of them. More than a one-man band, he claims to be “a man who knows how to choose the orchestra.”
Entrevista a Carles Magraner. Manuel Muñoz. Valencia Plaza, 17/12/23. Foto: Marga Ferrer. Publicado originalmente nº110 (diciembre 2023) de la revista Plaza.