To celebrate summer, Barcelona Coral Asia, Casa Asia’s intercultural exchange project through song and music, invites choirs from the city to share the stage and unite their diverse voices. The concert repertoire includes popular songs in languages of Asian origin.
The performance will take place on Monday, June 29, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. CEST, at the Centre Artesà Tradicionarius (Plaça Anna Frank, s/n, Barcelona). Free admission with prior registration. Organized by Casa Asia and Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius, with the collaboration of the Barcelona City Council, Nupura, and ACTEA, a women’s choir.
PARTICIPATING CHOIRS
ACTEA, a women’s choir
Esther Vilar Portillo, piano
Carles-Josep Comalada, director
ACTEA is a women’s choir made up of eighteen singers. Its origins lie in the Cor de Noies (Girls’ Choir), founded in 1991 at what was then the Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music. With the center’s transformation into a Professional Level Conservatory, the group redefined its artistic goals and aspirations and became known as ACTEA, cor femení (Women’s Choir), while maintaining its ties with the Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music.
The group has performed with great success in numerous concert halls throughout Catalonia (Gran Teatre del Liceu, Palau de la Música Catalana, Teatre Fortuny, Teatre-Auditori de Sant Cugat del Vallès), participating in various festivals and concert series (Festival de Música del Maresme, Festes del Tura in Olot, Festival de Música de Tremp, Concert Series in the Lleida Region, Ribermúsica 96, Heritage Concert Series, etc.). They have also performed in Madrid, Segovia, the Basque Country, Aragon, Germany, Italy, and France.
Furthermore, they have received numerous awards at the “Mostra de Cant Coral” of the Generalitat of Catalonia and twice at the Cantonigròs International Music Festival. Critics and audiences alike have praised the group’s mature style, high technical skill, and exceptional communication abilities.
Recently, ACTEA won First Prize and the Audience Award at the 42nd Fira de Tots Sants Choral Competition, held in Cocentaina in November 2022. ACTEA presents a new performance of their “Romantic” program, which aims to highlight the music—often unfairly overlooked or forgotten—of 19th-century female composers. It features works by Catalan composer Lluïsa Casagemas and German composers Luise Adolpha Le Beau and Clara Wieck, in previously unreleased versions or arrangements for choir and piano by Carles-Josep Comalada.
The Nupura Choir. Indian Music Choir
Shreyashee Nag, concept and artistic direction
Matías Muñoz, musical direction
Trained in the tradition of Hindustani classical music, the Nupura Choir performs various genres of Indian songs: folk songs, songs by Rabindranath Tagore, and other pieces from a repertoire inspired by Indian classical music. Their artistic approach incorporates jazz influences, creating a fusion of tradition and contemporary style.
Barcelona Coral Asia
Carles-Josep Comalada, director
Vignesh Melwani, pianist
Barcelona Coral Asia is an intercultural project fostering exchange through music and song, with a repertoire in Asian languages. It was launched by Casa Asia in 2012 with the support of the Barcelona City Council. The choir brings together approximately 40 singers from Barcelona’s diverse cultural backgrounds. Rehearsals are held every Monday at the Casal Transformadors in Barcelona. Their repertoire reflects the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the city.
