Festival Contratemps

Contratemps Festival, músiques històriques, ara! (early music, now!)

The Col.lectiu de Música Antiga de Sant Cugat creates contemporary cultural activities and performances using period instruments. For several days every September, the Contratemps festival presents concerts, staged operas, fringe concerts for emerging ensembles, combinations of early music with contemporary dance, yoga, or jazz, exhibitions of historical instruments, conferences, children's shows and workshops, and early music “jam sessions”.

The Festival Contratemps, músiques històriques, ara! was created in 2019 by the Col·lectiu Música Antiga Sant Cugat. Formed by a group of musicians, musicologists, luthiers, and pedagogues, the goal is to make “historical” music accessible to both a specialist public and to those who approach early music for the first time. What unifies the very varied audiences is the desire to get involved in the cultural life of the city. Children are welcome at all Contratemps events, and special programs geared specifically towards young listeners are programmed.

In the framework of the festival, several opera productions have been performed such as Bastien und Bastienne by Mozart, with the circus artist Adrián Schvarzstein; Mozart's Don Giovanni with Opera Terrassa, with Frederic Roda; Handel's Acis and Galatea and the recovery of Caldara's Atenaide with the great Albert Arribas. Ensemble Contratemps has been directed by great specialists such as Esteban Mazer, Lixsania Fernández, Katy Elkin, Jorge Juan Morata, Jordi Domènech, Joan Manau, and Enrike Solinis.

The Contratemps Festival productions have participated in the programming of the Peñíscola International Ancient Music Festival, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Bach Astea Festival of Donosti, Sons of Time Festival, La Pedra Parla de Vallbona, Municipal Theater of Manlleu, Theater Auditori de Sant Cugat, Terrassa Principal Theater, and the Auditorium Fundación Cañada Blach.

Some of the outstanding artists and ensembles who have performed in the Contratemps festival include Esteban Mazer, Dani Espasa, Enrike Solinís, Ricart Renart, Alzi Kim, María Hinojosa, Elise Efremov, Helena Ressurreição, Jordi Domènech, Albert Arribas, Lixsania Fernández, Farran Sylvan James, Anna Romaní, Emmanuel Balssa, Pere Olivé, Oriol Aymat, Marina Durany, Margherita Pupulin, Pep Borrás, Anacronia Ensemble, Ibera Auri, Arbeau Project, Ensemble L´Incantari, Terza Prattica, Symbiotic Duo, and the Matthew Simon Quartet, among others.

The Contratemps Festival receives the support of L'Ajuntament de Sant Cugat, the Diputació de Barcelona, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and ESMUC (Barcelona Conservatory). Since 2023 Contratemps has been part of FestClásica.