bio
Pilar Almalé is a multi-faceted Spanish artist. A professional viol player, Pilar loves music in all its expressions and styles. Through her main instrument, she has specialised in early music, although she has always been open to other traditions, such world music, jazz and even pop. She enjoys the challenge of playing other instruments: violone (bass Baroque instrument), the sraj (indian traditional instrument), or the medieval viol.
Her training encompasses the “classical” conservatory education (Professional Conservatories of Zaragoza and Sevilla; Superior Conservatory of Vigo), a degree in Fine Arts by Seville University, as well as the study of theatre, improvisation and sraj at the State Music School of Varanasi (India).
Pilar has appeared at many important events, both national and international, and has been part of some of the most prominent Early Music festivals in Spain. In 2017, she worked for the national tour of the bagpipes player Carlos Nuñez, sharing the stage with musicians, such as Jordi Savall, or Dulce Pontes.
Capitalising on her theatre experience, she has participated in other ground‐breaking shows like “Espontangas”--a spontaneous theatre group, conducted by the Argentinian actress Patricia Davis.
She has travelled to many places around the world, always open to new colours and experiences, immersing herself in different cultures and music traditions, in order to enrich herself and grow artistically. In 2013, she received a Fellowship from the International Cooperation Department of Seville University, and was able to remain for more than a month in a Goa orphanage, India, teaching music and playing at concerts for the Goa University.
In 2014, she received the same Fellowship, and this time she travelled to San José de Chiquitos, Bolivia. There, she taught violoncello and conducted the children’s orchestra at the State Music School. Moreover, she took the opportunity to travel around and visit many countries of South America, learning painting techniques with the Bolivian artist Pablo Ruiz.
In 2015 she travelled back to India, where, for an entire month, she took daily classes of singing and sraj playing at the Varanasi State Music School. In the same year, she also began working with Abdelaziz Samsaoui, director of “Samsaoui Producciones”, who is a Moroccan musician specialised in Arabic early music. Pilar started playing the medieval viol while taking part in Samsaoui’s projects.
In 2016, she recorded her first album, called “Caja de Música”, with her music project “Caranzalem”. Two years later, that album won a runner-up prize from CREAR18 PRICES, in collaboration with the Aragonés de la Juventud institute.
In recent years, Pilar has completed a Bachelor programme at the Vigo Superior Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Sara Ruiz, specialising in advanced viol techniques and Early Music disciplines.
Currently, she is running three personal projects: Almalé, a project in which early music is merged with jazz and folk styles, with the violinist Thomas Kretzschmar and the guitarist Ernesto Cossío; Caranzalem, with the recorder player Elena Escartín, which showcases world music sung and played on early instruments. Finally, “Ceci n’est pas Baroque”, a viola da gamba experimental project with Patricia Rodríguez.
In 2020 she started recording music at her home studio, working with the American composer and harpsichordist William Gamble.
In 2021 she was named soloist viola da gamba player in the Mediterranean Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Santos.
She regularly performs at concerts, writes her own music, records music at her home studio, and keeps experimenting with her talents, always looking for new sounds and forms of expression.
EDUCATION
OFFICIAL DEGREES
2020 Superior Grade of viol in the Music Conservatory of Vigo with
Sara Ruiz.
2015 Medium Grade of viol in the Music Conservatory Cristóbal de Morales of Seville with Leonardo Luckert.
2015 Fine Arts degree in Sevilla University.
FELLOWSHIPS
2014 Violoncello teacher and orchestra conductor in Oficial Music School in San José de Chiquitos (Santa Cruz, Bolivia). Fellowship from the International Cooperation Department of Seville University.
2013Violoncello and music teacher in a Goa Orphanage. Fellowship from the International Cooperation Department of Seville University.
EXTRA-curricular EDUCATION
2019 Viol masterclass with Cristiano Contadin. Conservatorio Venezia Superior Conservatory.
Participation in “Violanet. European viola da gamba Network”. Viol masterclasses with Vittorio Ghielmi, Mieneke Van der Welden and Imke David. Superior Conservatory of Vigo.
Participation in the II "Violanet European viola da gamba Network”. Mozarteum in Salzburgo. Masterclass with Marianne Müller.
2018 Presence to the conference in Jornada Formativa Musae. Madrid.
Improvisation workshop with Fahmi Alqhai and Rami Alqhai. Early Music Festival of Gijón.
Viol masterclass with Bettina Hoffmann. Music Conservatory of Vigo.
Violone study. Music Conservatory of Vigo.
2017 Viol masterclass with Christopher Urbanetz. Music Conservatory of Vigo.
2015 Jazz course with Leandro Perpiñán. Music Conservatory Cristóbal de Morales of Seville.
2013 Contemporary music study with Nuria Núñez Hierro. Estudio de composición de música contemporánea con Nuria Núñez Hierro.Music Conservatory Cristóbal de Morales of Seville.
2014 Viol masterclass with José Vázquez.
2009 Singing and african music course with Polo Vallejo. Profesional Music of Zaragoza.
2008 Introduction to African music with Polo Vallejo. Profesional Music of Zaragoza.
EXPERIENce
COLABORAtions
2018 Carlos Núñez. National tour in Spain.
2017 Orchestra Concert conducted by Jordi Savall and Carlos Núñez
in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
Grabación del disco Crecer cantando, crecer soñando dirigido por Luis Dueñas. Sevilla.
2018 Concert in Early Music Festival in Gijón as a musician of "Viajeros Medievales" ensemble. Conducted by Aziz Samsaoui.
2016 Viol player in the ensemble Veterum Mvsicae, conducted by Aziz Samsaoui. Offering concerts in Early music Festivals in Aracena, Andújar and Granada.
2014 CD redcording. "Barrocos de Carmen" with Coro Maese Rodrigo. Sevilla.
2011 Orquesta Barroca Cristóbal de Morales, conducted by Aníbal Soriano.
FESTIVALs and concert halls
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Palau de la Música in Barcelona
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Concert Hall in Panjim University (Goa, India)
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Noches en los Jardines del Alcázar (Sevilla)
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Teatro Afundación de Vigo
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Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
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Granada Early Music Festical (FMAG)
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Sainte-Amans de Soult Theatre (Tolouse, France)
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Aracena Early Music Festical (Huelva)
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Series of concerts in the Teatro Romano of Zaragoza
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Teatro Central de Sevilla
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Auditorio de Zaragoza
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Museu du Guarda (Portugal)