Music Worcester Will Present Jordi Savall & Hespérion XXI in A WORLD OF EMOTIONS

Music Worcester will present early music icon Jordi Savall in a concert titled  A World of Emotions: Musical discoveries from the old and the new world (1100-1780) at Mechanics Hall on April 11. 

Savall brings his early music ensembles Hespèrion XXI and  La Capella Reial de Catalunya, as well as guest musicians from Canada, Guadeloupe, and Mexico, to the stage for a sweeping collaboration that honors musical exchange and discovery across the last millennium.

A World of Emotions explores music from the 12th through 18th centuries, weaving traditions from Europe and the Americas into a vivid dialogue between past and present. The program combines historical and modern instruments onstage, featuring composers such as Josquin des Prés alongside traditional spirituals and improvisations. “With music, you must know about history, about current events, how we can prepare a better life,” Savall has said. “ If an artist is not able to change the world, he's not an artist.”   

Tracing the movement of music alongside the movement of people, the concert highlights repertory from Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, and beyond, illuminating how music has traveled, transformed, and endured across cultures and centuries.

Jordi Savall is one of the most versatile musical personalities of his generation. Over more than five decades, he has rescued musical treasures from obscurity and brought these works to audiences world-wide. Savall has recorded more than 230 albums spanning Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical repertories, with particular emphasis on Hispanic and Mediterranean traditions. His work as a performer, scholar, teacher, and creator of cultural projects has made him a central figure in the modern reappraisal of historical music.

Founded by Savall in 1974 as Hespèrion XX (later renamed Hespèrion XXI), the ensemble is dedicated to recovering and disseminating pre-19th-century music through historically informed performance on period instruments. The name “Hespèrion” refers to the ancient Greek term for the western lands of Europe—the Iberian and Italian peninsulas—and to Venus as the evening star.

Savall also co-founded La Capella Reial de Catalunya, one of the first vocal ensembles devoted to Golden Age music performed according to historical principles. Comprised exclusively of Hispanic and Latin voices, the ensemble's repertory spans Medieval Mediterranean traditions through the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque, and it performs regularly at major early music festivals around the world.

Music Worcester has brought internationally acclaimed musicians and ensembles to Central Massachusetts since its founding in 1858. Today, the organization presents leading orchestras, soloists, and ensembles spanning classical, jazz, folk, global traditions, and dance, engaging audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

In 2024, Music Worcester launched THE COMPLETE BACH, an 11-year project to present live performances of all J.S. Bach's known works. Music Worcester's education and outreach initiatives include in-school workshops and masterclasses, and the availability of free and reduced-price tickets.  In 2026-2027 choral director and educator Everett McCorvey will serve as Artist-in-Residence, following pianist Simone Dinnerstein and violinist Vijay Gupta, as part of Music Worcester's biannual residency program focused on deep and lasting community engagement.

Music Worcester presents the Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI in concert on Saturday, April 11 at 7:30pm at the Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester, MA. Tickets and information are at https://www.musicworcester.org/schedule/