Benet Casablancas

Benet Casablancas studied at Autonomous University of Barcelona, Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona and Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu. Training under Friedrich Cerha is recorded. The recorded working language is Catalan and Spanish. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera and sardana. Residence is recorded at Sabadell. Employment is recorded with Autonomous University of Barcelona and Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu. Distinctions recorded are Batuta d'Honor, National Music Prize for Composition and National Music Prize.

Casablancas started to study music in Barcelona's Conservatory of Music and privately with Josep Soler Sardà and then moved to Vienna, where he attended lessons in the Vienna Academy of Music with Friedrich Cerha and Karl Heinz Füssl. He also graduated in philosophy in Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona (1982) and has a PhD in musicology by the same university. He has always combined composition with teaching and research.

In 2000, Casablancas published the book “El humor en la música” and in 2002, he was appointed Academic Director of the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu of Barcelona. His “New Epigrams” (1997) represented Spain at the ISMC World Music Days Vilnius in 2008. Also in 2008, the “Seven Scenes of Hamlet” had its UK premiere in a performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and in 2009, his work “Alter Klang. Impromptu for Orchestra” was played by the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, and the Belgian National Orchestra. In the chamber field, the Arditti Quartet gave the premiere of Casablancas' "String Quartet n.3". In December 2009, his set of "Haiku" premiered in Japan. In the last years, several monographic concerts have taken place in Vienna, Madrid, and Barcelona. They were followed, in February 2010, by a Composer's Portrait by Perspectives Ensemble in Miller Theatre of New York, conducted by Angel Gil-Ordoñez, which included the US Premiere of the "Seven Scenes from Hamlet" (with the actor Chuck Cooper in the soloist role) and the World Premiere of the new work, “Four Darks in Red”, after Rothko, commissioned by Miller Theatre with the collaboration of the Foundation for Iberian Music. There has been another premiere planned for 2010, that of his “Chamber Concerto n.1 for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra”, which has been commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Also in 2010, his work “New Epigrams” was performed by The London Simfonietta, in Barcelona and in Madrid. Next commitments include new commissions and performances by Ensemble 88 Maastricht, Ensemble Cantus Croatia, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group conducted by Oliver Knussen and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. He has worked on commissions for the pianist Diego Fernández Magdaleno (homage to Jordi Savall) and the Foundation for Iberian Music at The City University New York. In 2011, Benet Casablancas signed an exclusive publishing agreement with The Music Sales Group (UME). Previous publishers include Tritó Edicions, EMEC and Boileau. In 2013, Casablancas was awarded the Spanish National Music Prize, granted by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Benet Casablancas was appointed Composer in Residence of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia for the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons. Currently he works in several commissions: CNDM de Madrid (for the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España (JONDE) and the Festival de Granada), and Ensemble Reconsil in Vienna. Recently he has received the commission of a new opera, "L´enigma di Lea", based on the original idea and libretto by Rafael Argullol, by the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona to be premiered next 2016–2017 Season.

• Five Interludes -Quasi variazioni- (1983; string quartet) • Seven Scenes from Hamlet (1989; chamber orchestra) • Epigrams (1994; sextet) • New Epigrams (1997; chamber orchestra) • Scherzo (2000; piano) • Three Epigrams (2000; orchestra) • The Dark Backward of Time (2005; orchestra) • Tre Divertimenti (2006; piano duet) • Intrada sobre el nom de Dalí: Variacions sobre tres notes (2006; orchestra) • Alter Klang (2006; orchestra) • Three Haiku (2008; piano) • Jo tem la nit... (2008; choir mixed and piano) • String Quartet No.3 (2009; string quartet) • Darkness Visible (2009; orchestra) • Four Darks in Red, after Rothko (2009; chamber orchestra) • Impromptu (2009; piano) • Dove of Peace: Homage to Picasso (Chamber Concert No.1 for clarinet and ensemble) (2010; chamber orchestra) • Six Glosses on texts by Cees Nooteboom (2010; flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, violoncello) • "L'enigma di Lea" (2018; opera)