VOICES of CATALONIA Lluís Claret, cello. Fredericksburg Music Festival

June 20, 2026 • 7:00 PM
St Joseph’s Halle • Fredericksburg, Texas

The Fredericksburg Music Festival & School proudly presents an extraordinary evening honoring the great Catalan cello tradition with legendary cellist Lluís Claret, pianist Minhye Choi, and the 12CELLOS of the Fredericksburg Music Festival.

Described as a meeting of “two giants of the Catalan cello school,” this special anniversary concert celebrates the 150th anniversary of Pablo Casals while commemorating the 60th anniversary of the passing of Gaspar Cassadó — two towering musical figures whose artistry transformed the cello in the twentieth century.

The evening explores the deeply personal and expressive musical worlds of Casals and Cassadó through rarely performed masterworks filled with Mediterranean color, lyricism, dance, and profound emotional depth.

The first half features Pablo Casals’ intimate and poetic works for cello and piano, spanning more than two decades of his compositional life. These elegant miniatures reveal the legendary artist not only as a virtuoso performer, but as a composer of refinement, warmth, and unmistakable Catalan character.

The program continues with Gaspar Cassadó’s monumental Sonata nello stile antico spagnuolo, the virtuosic and highly imaginative Partita dedicated to Gregor Piatigorsky, and the fiery Requiebros, dedicated to Casals himself — music that blends Spanish folk influence, baroque inspiration, and dazzling cello virtuosity.

Set within the historic atmosphere of St Joseph’s Halle in Fredericksburg, this concert offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of the great living heirs of the Catalan cello tradition performing music deeply connected to his artistic lineage.

Five Pieces for Cello and Piano

• Pastoral (1893)
• Rêverie (1896)
• Full d’àlbum (1897)
• Romanza (1899)
• Poème (1917)

Sonata nello stile antico spagnuolo (1925)

• Introduzione e Allegro
• Grave
• Danza con Variazioni

Partita (to Gregor Piatigorsky, 1935)

• Alla tedesca. Allegro risoluto
• Inno. Maestoso
• Gagliarda (Moderato)
• La Caccia. Giga (Allegro moderato)

Requiebros (to Pablo Casals, 1931)

Lluís Claret is internationally celebrated as one of the foremost interpreters of the Catalan cello tradition and has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Revered for the depth of his artistry, poetic musicianship, and profound connection to the lineage of Casals, Claret has inspired generations of musicians through both his performances and teaching.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy an evening of music in one of Fredericksburg’s most intimate and acoustically vibrant venues. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended due to limited seating.

Five Pieces for Cello and Piano

• Pastoral (1893)
• Rêverie (1896)
• Full d’àlbum (1897)
• Romanza (1899)
• Poème (1917)

Sonata nello stile antico spagnuolo (1925)

• Introduzione e Allegro
• Grave
• Danza con Variazioni

Partita (to Gregor Piatigorsky, 1935)

• Alla tedesca. Allegro risoluto
• Inno. Maestoso
• Gagliarda (Moderato)
• La Caccia. Giga (Allegro moderato)

Requiebros (to Pablo Casals, 1931)

This concert forms part of the 2026 Fredericksburg Music Festival & School, an international summer festival bringing together exceptional artists, students, and audiences from around the world in the Texas Hill Country.

St. Joseph’s Halle

June 7–21, 2026

Texas Cellos
and the Fredericksburg Music Festival & School

Chamber music, pedagogy, and a great interest in contemporary music are all essential elements of Claret’s musical focus. His previous teaching posts include the “Victoria dels Angels” Music School at Sant Cugat in Barcelona, and the Toulouse Conservatory in France. He currently teaches at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona, and has presented masterclasses in France, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, the U.S., Japan, and Korea. Also, together with Bernard Greenhouse he conducted seminars at the Abbey of Fontfroide in Narbonne, France.

A consummate performer, Claret has been on stage in the principal capitals of Europe, America, and Asia. Under the baton of Vaclav Neumann, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Pierre Boulez, Karl Münchinger, Dimitri Kitaienko, Sakari Oramo, George Malcolm, and many others, Claret has performed with orchestras such as the Washington National Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, Hungarian Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, and the French National Orchestra. He has also performed with notable orchestras in Tokyo, Seoul, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Bamberg, Moscow, Madrid, and Barcelona. In 1980, he founded the Barcelona Trio, which performed for nearly 15 years. He regularly plays with pianists Josep-Maria Colom and Benedicte Palko and has collaborated often with prestigious musicians such as Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutoslawski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Joan Guinjoan, Iannis Xenakis, and Pierre Boulez.

A regularly invited jury member for international competitions, Claret has served on the juries of the Rostropovitch Competition in Paris, France, Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki, Finland, the International Pablo Casals Competition in Kronberg, Germany, and the Adam Cello Competition in Auckland, New Zealand.

First Prize, Rostropovich Cello Competition, 1977

First Prize, Pablo Casals International Cello Competition, 1976

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