Cor Petits
Artistic team
Mercè Pi
Conductor of the Cor Petits of Orfeó Català
"It is a great privilege being able to work with the children in the Cor Petits, because of the joy they communicate and their eagerness to sing better every day, with an enthusiasm which is beyond price. It's vital sustenance for me. I wouldn't change it for anything!"
Mercè Pi studied music at the Badalona Conservatory, where she gained professional qualifications in singing and music theory and the higher qualification in music teaching. She continued her studies with various international singing courses. She is currently studying modern clarinet.
She has always combined teaching work with singing as a member of various choral ensembles. She has been a member of the Cor Lieder Càmera, founded by Josep Vila, and has worked with the Capella de Santa Maria del Mar and the Cor Madrigal.
She has taught at the EMM in Premià de Mar since 1992. Since 2002 she has been a member of the teaching staff at the Escola Coral of the Orfeó Català, as director of the Cor Petits and teacher of musical language. She has worked on educational projects for the Escola Coral to foster choral singing in Bombay and Cameroon. Since 2012, she has collaborated in the social project Clavé XXI of the Escola Coral in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona.
Gemma Tatay
Conductor
Born in Barcelona, Gemma Tatay completed intermediate studies in the piano and higher studies in music theory at the Liceu Conservatory. She also holds a degree in music teaching from the University of Barcelona. She studied choral conducting with Manel Cabero, Gaby Baltés, Mireia Barrera, Josep Vila, Lluís Vila, Dan Olof Stenlum and Pierre Cao.
Tatay has been the assistant conductor for the participatory concerts organised by La Caixa Foundation in Seville, Granada, Barcelona and Pamplona. Throughout her career she has conducted a number of children’s and adult choirs, including the Cor Tessàlia and the Cor Ariadna—part of Agrupació Cor Madrigal—which she continues to conduct today. For five years she has sung soprano in the GAC choir in Barcelona.
In terms of teaching experience, she has lectured in music theory at the University of Barcelona. Tatay regularly teaches courses in music teaching and choral conducting at a number of different universities and schools in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.
She is currently a primary and secondary school teacher at the Escola Mestral in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, where she leads the children’s choirs. She is also part of the Choral School at the Orfeó Català, where she conducts the Cor Petits.
Adrià Aguilera
Pianist of the Choirs Mitjans and Petits of Orfeó Català
Adrià Aguilera is a pianist, composer and music director. After graduating in piano performance from the Liceu Conservatory, he continued his studies at Musikeon and Taller de Músics. His career has focused on musical theatre, acting as pianist and musical director for productions including The Addams Family, A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot, Grease and The Producers.
As a composer, he has written Barcelona compte enrere, El secret del volcà, and Cantata diferent, which was commissioned by Palau Vincles and will be performed for the first time in 2024.
Aguilera has been the pianist for performances including the participatory musical organised by La Caixa Foundation, the Cantagran at the Auditori de Barcelona and La cuina de Rossini at Gran Teatre del Liceu. He has also accompanied the choirs Musicorum, Cor Lua, Cor Eternity, and Cor Itaca. This season he will accompany the Cor Mitjans and Cor Petits choirs at the Orfeó Català.