It is curious the way in which the life of the businessman of Joaquim Uriach (Barcelona, 1966) finds unexpected links with his new role as president of the Orfeó Català - Palau de la Música Catalana. The person now responsible for the corporate governance of Uriach laboratories explains that when reaching an agreement with Emser to market its throat lozenges, he learned that Montserrat Caballé loved them. "She had them brought from Germany because they were very good for her. And now we also make them with caramel flavor."
In the first interview he has given since taking office at the Casa dels Cants, a year and a half ago, the lawyer who was also one of the "good men and good women" called to take charge of the situation in the Palau when it was uncovered Fèlix Millet's pufo explains his future plans for an entity that he describes as "strong."
What has surprised you the most since you have occupied the presidential office?
The great respect that is given to this house, both by the artists, who love to come, and by the similar rooms outside. At the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, for example, they hold the Palau in great esteem and appreciation. And also the institutions, the City Council, the Generalitat.
A respect that also reflects the way in which the Millet case was overcome?
Yes, because it was resolved very well. Mariona Carulla's previous stage did a very good job of regaining confidence. People wanted to get their much-loved Palau back.
Do you remember how you received the news about Félix Millet's fraud?
I remember not believing it. He thought it was an invention of the prosecution that was there, scratching. I am a criminal lawyer and, although I left that aspect behind, I know that world, and I was hesitant. Nobody expected it. Then they called me to be part of that meeting and I had greater knowledge.
Where does your musical hobby come from?
I have always had a sensitivity for music. At school I liked when they played Falla and so on in music class. And I remember asking my mother, who was going to Andorra to buy butter and Danish cookies, to bring me the record of the Ninth by the Berlin Philharmonic and Karajan. My grandfather had a big impact on me, there was always a lot of culture at home... he went to the Lucerne Festival, to Bayreuth... An uncle of mine was a member of the board with Lluís Millet. And the Salzburg Easter Festival marked me: I was impressed by Mozart and that Central European atmosphere of people who know the subject, elegant people. Curiously, playing an instrument came from me, it was not my parents who took me to the piano but rather I, at 17 years old, decided that I wanted to do it. I took classes for three years but then I started law school. Now I have recovered it. I like it, it relaxes me.
Among the new features of its strategic plan is the idea of going further with visits to the building. Would you like that money to be invested in turning the Palau into a center of creation and production?
Yes, the idea is to grow, do more things, and one would be that. We already have the idea of doing a permanent show of our own creation with the values of the Palau, a show about Barcelona within the house's brand of excellence. It is one of the fifteen new features of the Pla Estratègic. Also a night show and a gala for fundraising from the world of culture. We are studying it. The will is to grow in quality and quantity.
He put Casa Batlló as an example of exploitation to follow…
They have seen that there was potential and they have worked on it: now they have one million visitors a year. You may like what they do more or less, but there is work from a qualitative artistic point of view and a result from a marketing point of view. At the Palau we also have a jewel, and the more people see it, the better. There are many people from Catalonia who do not know her. Even politicians... the other day I was at an event and there was a politician who was amazed, it was his first time at the Palau. There is work to do. We would like to reach all Catalans, so that they know this wonder that is a UNESCO heritage site. Of course we fight against Gaudí, a name that is very easy to remember, less complicated than Domènec i Montaner.
But it also wants to reach the figure of one million visitors...
Yes, now we are at 400,000 a year who attend concerts and 200,000 who visit the building. Their thing would be to go from those 600,000 to a million. But we will not do anything that vulgarizes culture and artists. Here we don't want to commercialize anything. It's about the potential that culture has. This is not Uriach that distributes dividends, everything is to reinvest and, as we always do, try to end the year at zero.
How is a 19th century institution like the Catalan Orfeó projected in the 21st century?
With innovation and modernity. Being a 19th century institution, we have the opportunity to take advantage of our entire historical legacy as a platform to become a modern institution, through innovation and the pursuit of excellence, one of the institution's founding values. The entities that know how to adapt to the times and the environment are those that survive and those that learn to grow in the face of adversity. In fact, this is what the Orfeó has done over the years. Our mission continues to be to improve people's lives through culture and music, a mission that now becomes a purpose adapted to new times.
An example is the Sant Esteve Concert itself, which as a living organism, based on tradition, has been able to adapt to new times, updating itself with new formats, with new musical creation, digitalization, etc. Or the Palau Vincles social project, a program that is inspired by Lluís Millet himself (the founder of the Orfeó wanted to get the men out of the tavern and take them to sing together to make their lives better), and with Palau Vincles we continue searching for this impact on society by promoting social inclusion and integration through choral singing of children and young people in vulnerable situations, from the same conviction of the great power of personal and social transformation of the practice of choral singing. The Orfeó Català was once innovative, making the construction of the Palau de la Música Catalana as its headquarters a reality, the challenge is to maintain that spirit and see beyond.
The members of the Orfeó are owners of the Palau de la Música. Does it mean they could sell it to you?
The statuses determine that in the event of the association's dissolution, the building would become property of the Generalitat. No, they couldn't sell it to you. And the Generalitat would have to allocate these assets for the purpose for which they were created, because they perpetuate the memory of the association. It would be like trying to sell Montserrat. And now that problem will arise with the income that its four million visitors bring to the Sagrada Família. There is a certain theory that says that the works are prolonged because when they finish there is a movement in the Church that says they have to go to the Vatican and not here...
You sign the contracts made by the Palau, such as commissions for composers. Be aware of what they charge. Are they paid well?
If you compare him to a footballer, no, of course. I am happy to say that we are doing something missional, which is the value of culture and music in particular as a universal value that helps people to be better people, to develop. And it gives me great satisfaction to call someone to create and innovate. I don't think about whether the money is a lot or a little.
Name three things you plan to contribute to make the Palau evolve.
Reach more audiences. Continue growing to bring the music and values of the Palau and the Orfeó to the maximum number of people, increasing the impact of the institution. We want all Catalans who have never been to the Palau to come, but also to continue growing with the international projection of the entity, and therefore, increase both the number of visitors and audiences at our concerts. We believe that the Palau and the Orfeó have the potential to make this growth. The new Palau door: this new space that we are designing will make the Palau building in the city of Barcelona more accessible, taking it to Via Laietana, this new artery of the city that is currently being renovated. In this new space we will locate the new Palau ticket offices, the store and also an exhibition space that helps explain what the Palau is and what its lines of activity are. Introduce sustainability and innovation in all our lines of activity: from programming in a more sustainable way, with greater impact where orchestras and groups come to our city and collaborate with other projects and institutions, to installing solar panels, reducing the carbon footprint zero, and other actions that impact the rest of the Foundation's activity.
They have only six percent of public aid in their budget of 16 million. What do you plan to do to gain public participation?
We need public subsidies to be able to develop special investments and specific projects. But we believe that the potential of the Palau de la Música Catalana is structured by generating its own income and reinvesting it with projects related to our purpose.
