Putting pianos on the streets is not an exclusive idea of the Maria Canals contest, which these days is once again filling Barcelona with pianos for the initiative that it organizes in different Spanish cities on May 31, with the complicity of Fundació Occident. The 3rd edition of the Toca’m Festival is also being held in Tortosa this weekend, a popular event that spreads pianos through unique places in the capital of Baix Ebre, such as the Pont Roig, in the middle of the greenway, the river pier, the Teodor González Park, Absis Square or even, for the first time, the roofs of the historic Casa Bau or Casa Brunet, headquarters of the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
Apart from inviting whoever wants to sit and play on pianos located in the market, the Rambleda Cervantes Street or the Plaza de Espanya, the festival programs free recitals and concerts with renowned artists, giving support to young creators and performers, especially women, with styles ranging from neoclassical to minimalism, from blues to flamenco, pop, techno, jazz, swing…
The initiative co-directed by music teacher Maria Lombarte and musician/dentist Manel Miró has, for example, featured this Friday the Empordà pianist Emma Stratton presenting her debut album, Syndesi, at the Royal Colleges. Or with the jazz tandem formed by pianist Lucia Fumero and trombonist Rita Payés.
Today Sunday, the last day, the meeting starts at 10.30 a.m. in the park of the Terres de l’Ebre University Campus with Ramon Humet playing Tibetan bowls together with the pianist Sílvia Vidal in a proposal entitled Resonances of silence. “It’s a meditative experience with Mompou’s quiet music and Tibetan sounds”, say the organizers. A healthy breakfast will then be offered.
At 12 noon Aura Martí and Biel Harper (voice and piano) will present their album Instants at the Pont Roig, right on the greenway. And in the afternoon, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, at 5:30 p.m., the Modo Swing school invites you to dance to the sounds of The Poyo Moya Trio. Two hours later, in the Príncep gardens, pianist Miranda Fernández, accompanied on vocals and electronics by Cristina López, will offer a “tour of the role of women in flamenco and its fusion with jazz.
The closing concert, in the Cathedral Square, at 9 pm, features Lluís Gavaldà and Joan-Pau Chaves giving a review of their pop songbook. An endearing show that follows the plot thread around how a piece of music is created, intertwining themes from Els Pets with the songs that inspired them. Furthermore, in its interrelation with other artistic disciplines, Toca’m connects with fine arts in collaboration with painters from the territory: Toni Martínez Tines, Agustí Forner Agustí and Ana Balart meet with musicians from Esmuc and the Conservatori del Liceu, institutions with which Toca’m has just signed agreements.
Toca’m is a festival attached to the framework of the 16 Terres de l’Ebre Festivals that reclaim the territory and value it. “We generate a different audience and vindicate the capacity of culture to transform people, groups and territories,” adds Lombarte. With a budget of 80,000 euros for two dozen performances in three days and a host of social and educational activities, the festival has funding from the Tortosa City Council, the Department of Culture of the Generalitat, the Provincial Council of Tarragona, the Regional Council. .. (which cover between 70 and 80% of the total) and private sponsors such as Yamaha Pianos and the Fundació La Caixa. “If we had to pay for the services covered by volunteers, the budget would be multiplied by two,” they warn.
On the other hand, the Maria Canals, which had always celebrated its piano day on Passeig de Gràcia as part of the competition, includes it this year for the first time in the cycle “La teva ciutat s’omple de pianos”. This change, in the words of the director of Maria Canals, Jordi Vivancos, “does nothing more than emphasize the objective of this initiative, which is to bring music closer to society and discover new young talents who want to participate in the prestigious competition.”
The activity will take place, therefore, on May 31, flooding Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia with grand pianos. Eight grand pianos and two grand grand pianos. Between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. they will be available to professional musicians, music students, amateurs, schools, children and spontaneous musicians.
