All festivals want to count on his presence, but only a few manage to do so. The pianist Arcadi Volodos will be the star of the second day of the Cap Rocat Festival on Saturday August 5. Tickets are on sale for the event’s official website: www.festivalcaprocat.com
This is not your first time in Mallorca, but do you know the island?
“I have never come here as a tourist, but I have visited the island with my family once after the recital I played at Palma’s Auditorium a few years ago. It was in the winter, during the low season, and we were able to visit the caves without many people. It was a magical experience.”
Why did you accept the proposal of the Cap Rocat Festival?
“I already performed in Mallorca a few years ago, I think before the pandemic, at the Torre de Canyamel with a small audience. I really liked the experience of the closeness of the audience. This time I hope to have a similar experience.”
Your concert at Cap Rocat will be in an intimate venue and close to the audience. Is it easier to connect?
“To play Mompou’s quiet music is ideal. This music doesn’t have the same impact as in a large hall. I hope to be able to connect with the audience through it.”
Do you prefer to play solo or with a conductor and an orchestra?
“For several years I have been playing exclusively in recitals with programmes composed to my own taste. I don’t depend on anyone, I have no limits and I am free to express myself.”
What repertoire have you prepared for this recital?
“The programme connects an Eastern monk (Mompou), a Catholic (Liszt) and a mystic (Skriabin), a ‘spiritualist trio’. It demands an enormous concentration on the part of the listener, a transcendent connection to oneself. I hope to get that feeling from the Mallorcan audience.”
The pandemic forced everything to stop. How did you experience it?
“For me, the pause during the pandemic was a very special moment and the happiest moment of my life. Despite the stress we all had, I could finally enjoy my house, my family, my daughter, who didn’t go to school and stayed with us. She fell asleep in my arms every night. Now concert life has resumed and I remember that time with a lot of nostalgia.”
Do you have a favourite composer?
“My favourite composer is the one I play at the time. I have to be in love with the music I play, otherwise it doesn’t work.”
You live in Madrid, what brought you to Spain?
“I studied at the Escuela de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid. I’ve lived for many years between Spain and France, I’m French by nationality and I’ve been in Europe for more than thirty years. Now I’m living in Spain because my daughter was born here.”