The Catalan viola da gamba player and conductor Jordi Savall has for more than five decades been at the forefront of the early music movement, pioneering repertoire and period performance practice while promoting a message of tolerance between peoples, religions and political creeds through his music. The year 2026 has already proved a significant one for him: alongside receiving the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize for a lifetime of achievement, he celebrates his 85th birthday on 1 August and brings his ensembles to the Edinburgh International Festival later this month. He speaks to The Strad‘s Michael White about his truly remarkable career.

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