The Catalan composer Marian Márquez (Tarragona, 1978) is one of the most prominent voices in current choral creation in our country. Márquez is part of what the Palau de la Música Catalana calls Generation C (contemporary Catalan choral composers), which stands out for being a heterogeneous group of composers committed to the renewal of choral language and the dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity. Her work has been distinguished by a refined writing style, sensitive to the word, communicative and especially attentive to the expressive possibilities of the human voice.
Márquez's relationship with the Orfeó Català and the choirs of the Escola Coral de l'Orfeó Català has been consolidated over the last few seasons with several commissions that have been premiered by our choral ensembles. This ongoing bond now comes together in the invitation of the Palau de la Música Catalana to be part of the 2026-27 season as a guest composer to open up the range of its catalogue, in which works of other formats coexist, such as the quartet La mirada eterna which will be performed by the Gerhard Quartet.
During the 2026-27 season, dedicated to the theme of peace, Márquez will have a particularly relevant presence with the premiere at the Sant Esteve Concert of a new cantata with a libretto by the poet and Hebraist Manuel Forcano, which will be performed by all the choirs of the Orfeó Català. The work proposes a musical and poetic reflection on peace from a contemporary perspective.
In addition, the composer will present a new work for cobla and solo cello, written as a tribute to Pau Casals, a universal figure in music and a symbol of commitment to peace and human rights. The work was commissioned by the Cobla Sant Jordi-Ciutat de Barcelona and will be premiered at the Palau de la Música Catalana.
Marian Márquez thus reaffirms her role as one of the most relevant composers of her generation and as a voice capable of articulating, through music, an artistic discourse deeply connected to the values and concerns of our time.
