Maria Canals (pianist) facts for kids
Maria Remei Canals i Cendrós (born March 12, 1914 – died July 28, 2010) was a talented Spanish pianist from Barcelona. She became famous for her amazing piano skills and for creating an important music competition.
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Early Life and Musical Journey
Maria Canals started learning piano from her father, Joaquim Canals, who was a piano teacher. She also studied with Lluís Millet, who founded the famous Palau de la Música Catalana. Another important teacher was Ricardo Viñes, who taught her a lot about French music.
When she was just 15, Maria began playing concerts around the world. She performed with many famous orchestras and conductors. She loved playing French music and was known for performing new pieces by important Catalan composers.
In 1950, Maria and her husband started a music school called the Acadèmia de Música Ars Nova. A few years later, in 1954, she founded the International Music Competition Maria Canals Barcelona. This competition became very well-known.
Maria Canals received many awards for her work. These included the "Stella della Solidarità Italiana" from Italy in 1965 and the "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts des Lettres" from France in 1981. She also received the "Creu de Sant Jordi" from Catalonia in 1990 and a medal for her achievements in Fine Arts from Spain. In 1994, Barcelona gave her a gold medal for artistic merit.
Maria Canals also wrote books about her life in music and the history of her music competition.
From Childhood to First Concerts
Maria Remei Canals loved music from a very young age. She started her piano lessons with her father, Joaquim Canals. He taught piano at the Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona. When she was 11, she joined the Conservatory herself. There, she continued studying with her father. She also learned music theory and composition with Lluís Millet.
In April 1932, Maria gave her first professional concerts at the Municipal Conservatory. She also had special lessons from Ricard Viñes between 1941 and 1943. These lessons helped her improve her piano technique and expression. They also deepened her understanding of French music.
After the Spanish Civil War, Maria performed her first solo concert. This was in November 1942 at the beautiful Palau de la Música Catalana.
Working with Composers
As Maria Canals grew as a pianist, she became friends with many great composers. They saw her as an excellent musician who could perform their new works. One of her close friends was Manuel Blancafort, a composer.
Blancafort introduced Maria to other important composers like Frederic Mompou and Xavier Montsalvatge. He also suggested that Ricard Viñes give her piano lessons. Maria Canals performed many of Blancafort's pieces for the first time.
Maria loved to play music by composers from her own time and country. She premiered works by Xavier Montsalvatge, Frederic Mompou, and her husband, Rossend Llates. This made her a key pianist for promoting new music.
Maria once said about Blancafort: "He would bring me the pieces he had composed. I would play the ones he brought the week before. Even though he wasn't a pianist, his advice was very helpful."
From Local to International Stages
Maria Canals began her concert career in the 1940s. She played in major European cities like Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Berlin. But she also performed many times at the Palau de la Música Catalana. Her first solo concert there in 1942 was a big success.
Maria often played music by Spanish composers like Granados, Falla, Turina, Blancafort, and Mompou. Because of this, she became an important ambassador for Spanish piano music around the world.
She once said in an interview: "I always tried to understand what the composer wanted to say. Then I tried to share that message with the audience."
The Ars Nova Academy
In 1948, Maria Canals and her fiancé, Rossend Llates, created the Ars Nova Academy. They wanted to offer excellent music education. At first, the academy was in their home. But two years later, it moved to a new building in the Rambla de Catalunya. It quickly became a respected music school.
Maria explained in her book: "We were very excited about Ars Nova. My mother and Rossend were determined to create a school as good as the best conservatories."
Teaching and Inspiring Young Musicians
The Ars Nova Academy not only offered great classes but also organized student concerts. These concerts took place in places like the Palau de la Música and the French Institute of Barcelona. Maria believed it was important for students to perform in front of an audience. This helped them gain confidence.
The academy also hosted music courses and talks by famous international musicians. They even created prizes to encourage students to play their best. Many talented students came from Ars Nova. These included Maria Neus Miró, Leonora Milà, and others. Leonora Milà was a child prodigy. She debuted at the Palau de la Música at age seven. Later, in 1966, she won the Maria Canals International Competition.
Maria Canals also started an International Music Course in Sitges. This course brought together young musicians from different countries.
Works
Maria Canals wrote several books:
- A life in music, stories in pink and black (1970)
- Le Fou de Bor i cavitats de l'Alta Vall del Segre (1970, with others)
- Forty years of the Musical Execution Contest, some memories (1998)
Awards
- 1965: "Stella della Solidarità Italiana" from Italy.
- 1979: Diploma from the Generalitat de Catalunya for her work in Catalan music.
- 1981: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France.
- 1990: Creu de Sant Jordi from the Generalitat de Catalunya.
- 1990: Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (silver category) from Spain.
- 1994: Gold medal for artistic merit from the City Council of Barcelona.
The International Music Competition Maria Canals
In 1954, Maria Canals' big dream came true: a piano competition. It was organized by her Ars Nova Academy. This was a new idea in Spain at the time.
The competition's main venue was the Concert Hall of the Palau de la Música Catalana. From the start, it was an international event. In 1958, the competition joined the World Federation of International Music Contests. This helped it become even more famous around the world.
The competition is a non-profit event. It has grown over the years with support from many groups. Today, it is a global standard for piano competitions.
One of its main goals is to help young pianists start their careers. It also aims to bring music and the piano closer to everyone. The competition does this through special "Off Contest" activities. These activities share music in new and exciting ways, making the competition known across the country and worldwide.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Canals i Cendrós para niños
