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Amalgamas Ensemble
Music, Heritage, and Solidarity
Amalgamas Ensemble combines artistic excellence with a strong social and cultural commitment. With your support, we aim to carry out a tour that connects music, heritage, education, and solidarity. The project includes collaborations with contemporary composers such as Charlie Barber, the reconstruction of the historic organ of the Monastery of Rioseco in partnership with Salvemos Rioseco and the workshop Norbert Itrich & Sons, and concerts in rural settings to bring classical music to new audiences.
Programme proposal
Four Centuries of Dances
Amalgamas proposes a unique concept built on the contrast between early Baroque music of Matteis and Bertali, and music inspired by that era, such as Tartini’s Sarabanda or Vitali’s Ciaccona, probably reinterpreted through a twentieth-century lens, along the world premiere of the Spanish dances composed by Charlie Barber.
The connecting thread is a recurring motif present in all the pieces: an ostinato bass, a rhythmic pattern, or an intervallic sequence that unifies the work and defines its structure. In this way, the program becomes a journey through four centuries of music.
| Giuseppe Tartini (1692–1770) | Sarabanda | 5′ |
| Charlie Barber (1949-) | Danzas antiguas for violin and piano (world premiere) | 17′ |
| Antonio Bertali (1605–1669) | Ciaccona in C Major | 10’ |
| T. Vitali (1663–1745) | Ciaccona | 10’ |
| Nicola Matteis (ca. 1650–1714) | Diverse bizzarie sopra la vecchia sarabanda o pur ciaccona | 10’ |
Biographies
Javier García Aranda
Born in Madrid, Javier is a violinist trained in Spain, France, and at the Royal College of Music in London, where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Musical Performance. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, premiering works by Samuel Barber, A. Honegger, Charlie Barber, Peter Longworth, and Iñaki Estrada. In addition, he is an educator and music promoter in social contexts, collaborating with care homes and community centers.
Giordano Ferla
Born in Rome, Italy, Giordano began playing piano at an early age. He gained a place at the S. Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome at the age of 10 and later graduated from the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his postgraduate studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music. He has taken part in masterclasses with internationally renowned artists such as Peter Donohoe, Ian Jones, Dorian Leljak, Freddy Kempf, Jeremy Denk, Katia and Marielle Labeque, Tamara Stefanovich.
Together, Javier and Giordano bring artistic excellence, innovation, and social engagement, creating concerts that blend musical mastery with cultural and educational impact.
Audio
Video
A live performance by AMALGAMAS Ensemble at the “Music and Mysticism” Festival, in the Santo Cristo del Olivar Parish, Madrid. Music: G.F. Handel (1685-1759) Sonata HWV 371 – Allegro
Images
Performances
| Fri | 20.02.26 | VILA-SECA Spain | Auditori José Carreras |
| Sat | 13.06.26 | CARDIFF Wales, UK | St Edwards Church, Roath |
| Wed | 17.06.26 | MILTON KEYNES UK | Cornerstone City Church |
| Sun | 21.06.26 | HAMMERWOOD PARK UK | |
| Sat | 12.09.26 | CANTABRIA Spain | Los Corrales de Buelna |
| Sat | 26.09.26 | CUENCA Spain | Palacete de Cuenca |
| Mon | 07.12.26 | HERVIAS, LA RIOJA Spain |
Donations / Funding
In addition, we support humanitarian causes such as the Chernobyl Relief Foundation, donating the proceeds from a charity concert in Milton Keynes to the treatment of children whose immune systems have been damaged by the war in Ukraine.
Your contribution will help preserve heritage, create new works, and bring music where it is most needed.
What are the funds for? The funds raised will be used to cover all logistical expenses of the project: transportation, accommodation, and meals.
Charlie Barber 