Spanish violinist Marc Charles was born in 1989 into a musical family. He started playing the violin at the age of six and was later accepted to the integrated music and dance school Oriol Martorell to further his musical studies. In 2005 Marc won a place to study at the prestigious Purcell School of Music where he studied under Prof. Evgeny Grach. He later became a scholar at the Royal College of Music in London, where he obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees with Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky.
Marc is a passionate performer of both solo and ensemble repertoire. In these capacities, he has worked with some of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, including Bernard Haitink, Simon Rattle, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Lorin Maazel, among others. He has also had the privilege to work with ensembles such as the Cadaqués Symphony, the Liceu Opera Orchestra and members of the Ensemble Modern. Marc has performed in some of the most important venues in London such as the Buckingham Palace, Cadogan Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and in Spain l’Auditori, Palau de la Música, Auditorio de Zaragoza and National Auditorium in Madrid.
During Marc’s years as a student, he participated in various festivals around Europe, such as the Aurora Festival in Sweden, AIMS in Spain, Eilat Festival in Israel, Pablo Casals in France and most recently the IEMA in Austria. He has also played for, or alongside, renowned musicians such as Stephan Picard, Hagai Shaham, Jan Repko, Lewis Kaplan, András Kemenés, Ani Schnarch, Roby Lakatos, the Talich Quartet and the Chillingirian Quartet.
Marc has won many awards both in Spain and abroad, including the first prize at the Cordes Junior in Barcelona, The Catalan Government Cultural Award, the Ibercaja Foundation Fund Award and IX Concurs de Joves Musics de Catalunya. Marc has also received awards internationally, including bronze medal at the Marlow Concerto Competition, UK, and more recently the Williamson Foundation in California, United States.
During his spare time Marc loves travelling, reading, and, as any good Catalan, is a supporter of Barcelona Football Club.
If you were going to be sent to a desert island, which three items would you take with you?
A violin (with some spare new strings), Stravinsky’s complete music set, and a big yacht so I could get back to land.
What’s on your playlist right now?
Some Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea and Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.