Joan

Joan Manén Planas

Barcelona , 14 March 1883
Barcelona , 26 June 1971

Composer and Performer

Composer, violinist and director

Considered a child prodigy, he offered his first recital in Barcelona at seven years of age, having studied with Clemente Ibarguren and Frederic Balart. He toured America with ten years and soon became an internationally renowned performer. In addition to performing duets with the most important musicians of the time, such as Enric Granados, Pau Casals, Antonin Dvorák and Richard Strauss, he was also conductor, music promoter and a music journalist. He was also spured the creation of an auditorium in Barcelona, which never finalized due to financial difficulties. He composed powerful works, especially opera, chamber and symphonic music, as well as sardanes and transcripts for violin. His compositions are post-romantic in style and with Richard Strauss as a reference. As a violinist, he was acclaimed for his technique, and as a conductor, for the orchestras and audiences for which he performed. He was also acclaimed for essays such as Mis experiencas (1944) and El violín (1958).