Photo: Amadalvarez / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jordi Savall is, to me, proof that one stubborn musician can resurrect an entire world of sound. Reviving the viola da gamba and early music from relative obscurity since the 1970s is the sort of quiet revolution I deeply respect. The awards tell the story of his reach: a Léonie Sonning Prize, France's Legion of Honour, a César for film music, and Catalan honors that mark him as a cultural treasure at home. I find it striking that he is both scholar and performer, a musicologist who actually makes the recordings sing rather than just theorizing. His work feels less like nostalgia and more like genuine rediscovery.
Overview
Jordi Savall i Bernadet (Catalan: [ˈʒɔɾði səˈβaʎ i βəɾnəˈðɛt]; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol family of instruments (notably the viola da gamba) in contemporary performance and recording.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jordi Savall
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョルディ・サバール
- Reading
- じょるでぃ・さばーる
- Born
- August 1, 1941 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Snake
- Origin
- Igualada, Barcelona Province, Spain
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / musicologist / conductor / viol player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2012 Léonie Sonning Music Prize
- 1990 Saint George's Cross
- 2014 Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia
- 2013 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1992 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
- 2000 Prize of Honor Lluís Carulla
- 2012 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 2016 Gold Medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Composer — see all → · Musicologist — see all → · More people from Spain →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.