Renowned Spanish composer and conductor Joan Valent has recently released his eighth album—the latest from a classical musician with a diverse repertoire spanning orchestral compositions, instrumental performances, and award-winning film scores.
Titled Rebirth, it celebrates renewal and transformation with a fusion of evocative melodies and rhythms. Each composition submerges listeners into his musical poetry.
Valent's distinctive, harmonious style brings classical music to contemporary audiences through his fusion of old and new influences. This is the story of his life and his unique sound.
Musical journey
Born in 1964 on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Valent’s artistic sensibilities were shaped by both national and Mediterranean influences. His deep connection to Mallorca is reflected in his music, capturing the island's rich culture and breathtaking landscapes.
From a young age, Valent showed a passion fort music, drawing inspiration from the likes of classical composer Manuel de Falla and singer Rafael Farina while incorporating more contemporary musical styles. He studied music at Palma de Mallorca and later fell under the mentorship of renowned maestros like Carles Guinovart, Joan Guinjoan, and David Padrós in Barcelona.
Initially focused on instrumental performance, he soon turned his attention to composition and orchestral conducting— disciplines that would form the foundation of his artistic skill set. He spent some years in Los Angeles, where he explored and experimented with different artists and genres.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with diverse artists and composed scores for film, television and live theatrical performances. In 2007, in a nod to his hard-earned status as a Spanish cultural icon, he was commissioned to compose the official music for the Balearic Islands.
Poetry in music
Valent masterfully fuses his music with poetry, creating a profound and unconventional interplay between the two artistic forms. Drawing inspiration from both Spanish and international poets, he reimagines their emotional and philosophical resonance through his distinctive musical voice.
In his 2007 album Insula Poética, Valent captured the essence of poets such as Fernando Pessoa and Antonio Machado, translating their existential musings into musical language.
Pessoa’s reflections on isolation and foreboding find a poignant echo in Valent’s melodies, which create a harmonious dialogue between the written word and sound, elevating the themes of his poetry.
Valent also draws inspiration from poets like José Hernández and Pablo Neruda, whose evocative verses intertwine with his compositions to produce a musical synergy that reflects the complexity of the human experience. His 2019 album Poetic Logbook further explored this connection, expanding the expressive horizons of music.
Valent's music fuses classical music with Spanish folk, jazz, and electronic influences to form his own unique and innovative style. Through his exploration of diverse musical styles, he was able to incorporate a wide array of components into his music, crafting a signature style that resonated worldwide and set him apart from his musical peers.
His 2014 album, Witching and Bi*ching, was widely hailed as a masterpiece. In it, he composes immersive soundscapes that transcend space and time, blending classical instrumentation with contemporary compositional techniques. The album reflects his most private emotions, each composition akin to a diary entry.
Redefining film scores
Valent has also established himself as one of the most prominent composers in cinema. Many of his compositions can be heard as dramatic backdrops to world-famous films.
Collaborating with renowned directors both in Spain and internationally, Valent has consistently pushed the boundaries of film scoring. Among his notable collaborations is his work with Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia on the acclaimed 2013 comedy-horror film Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi.
Valent's score heightened the film's eerie feel, boosting his cinematic credentials and earning him a nomination for Best Soundtrack at the 2014 Goya Awards. The film Mararía earned him a nomination for the prestigious Spanish Goya Awards, and El Rey de La Habana won him a Gaudí Award. In 2022, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Terror Molins Festival.
Other standout projects include El Bar, a suspenseful thriller about a group of people trapped in a bar, where Valent’s music masterfully ratchets up tension, and Mi Gran Noche, a comedy that mirrors his playful sense of humour and chaotic energy in a whimsical score. In the documentary, How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? he skilfully captures the profound relationship between architecture and life through his music.
But perhaps one of Valent’s most acclaimed achievements is his contribution to the Oscar-winning American film Birdman, where he composed an unconventional score using only percussion drums—a bold departure from traditional film scores. This minimalist yet dynamic approach proved to be a powerful narrative tool reflecting the psychological turmoil of the characters.
The film score won him a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination, solidifying his reputation as a visionary in the realm of film music.
Beyond his contributions to cinema, Valent has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including flamenco dancer Rafael Amargo and theatrical productions such as Troya and Siglo XXI, demonstrating his ability to transcend genres and art forms. And throughout his career, Valent consistently embraced innovation, helping him stay relevant in the rapidly evolving landscape of the music industry.
