Monuments #15: Juan de la Rubia
14 September 2024
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Organ recital by the titular organist of the Sagrada Família.
Programme
Francisco Correa de Arauxo (1584-1654) Tiento y discurso de segundo tono
Jehain Alain (1911-1940) Variations on a theme by Clement Jannequin
Juan de la Rubia (1982)/Antonio de Cabezón (1510-1566) Improvisations on 3 verses of "Ave maris stella," alternatim
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) Overture from Samson (tr. Juan de la Rubia)
Clément Jannequin (1485-1558) La guerre
Philip Glass (1937) Mad Rush
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Toccata, adagio und fuge C dur, BWV 564
About the Concert
The programme of this concert offers a contrast between the old and the modern, showcasing the evolution and richness of organ music through the centuries. The selected pieces emphasize the stylistic differences between periods, as well as the versatility of the organ in adapting to a wide range of musical expressions and, in some cases, attempting to take the monumental organ of the Oude Kerk out of its "comfort zone."
About Juan de la Rubia
Juan de la Rubia (1982) is the resident organist of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. He began his musical studies under his father and Ricardo Pitarch, and furthered his education in various European cities with mentors such as Óscar Candendo, Wolfgang Seifen, and Michel Bouvard. He has received several accolades, including the First Prize at the Concurso Permanente de Juventudes Musicales de España (2002) and the Premi El Primer Palau from the Palau de la Música Catalana (2004). As a soloist, conductor, and accompanist, he has performed in numerous prestigious concert halls, churches, and music festivals worldwide. De la Rubia has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya. He has collaborated with conductors like François-Xavier Roth and Simon Rattle, and with soloists such as Philippe Jaroussky, with whom he recorded the Grammy-nominated CD "Sacred Cantatas." Additionally, over the past decade, he has specialized in organ improvisation for silent films such as 'Faust' and 'Nosferatu.' He is a member of the Reial Acadèmia de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi and a professor at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, where he regularly conducts masterclasses.
