by Olga Morral Bisbal
Today, 26 August 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Igualada-born musician Jaume Padrós Montoriol.
This centenary gives us an opportunity to rediscover a musician who devoted himself wholeheartedly to his creative work and who, with extraordinary commitment and dedication, left behind an exceptional legacy of compositions. A meticulous and detail-oriented composer, he created music of remarkable quality and refinement, reflecting the spirit of a particular time and era.
At Acord Edicions, we would like to pay tribute to him and remember a musician who, among his many achievements, made a major contribution to the accordion repertoire and helped expand the Catalan literature for this instrument. This contribution was made possible thanks to his friendship with Hugo Noth, whom we also remember with particular affection today.
Born in Igualada, his life took him to Montserrat, Barcelona, Paris, Ulm and Trossingen, places that shaped his artistic development and musical education. It was in Germany, however, that Padrós pursued a significant part of his professional career.
A warm and kind-hearted person, throughout his life he shared experiences and artistic concerns with musicians and artists from other disciplines. This exchange of perspectives enriched both his own creative work and his understanding of art. The friendship between Noth and Padrós, as well as the close relationship Padrós maintained with Bernhard Rövenstrunck, helped forge a bond between two cultures, Catalan and German, that extended beyond the major cultural centres of the time.
Padrós was a great ambassador for our culture. Even far from his homeland, he never forgot his roots. Today, the memory, admiration and recognition he inspires among those who knew him also allow us to rediscover the richness of our musical culture. Padrós was, above all, a highly respected and much-loved teacher.
For many years, however, his name had been largely absent from the musical life of our country. Remembering him today therefore means recovering a part of our musical heritage. Acord Edicions sees the celebration of this centenary as a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of this Catalan musician’s catalogue and to contribute to the recovery and dissemination of his work.
To mark this anniversary, Acord Edicions has put together a programme of activities that combines the rediscovery of Jaume Padrós’s work with contemporary creation and music outreach.
The centenary celebrations began at the start of the year with the launch of the International Accordion Composition Competition Jaume Padrós. In addition, Acord Edicions has curated the exhibition Jaume Padrós i les alquímies del so, a showcase that aims to highlight his musical career and legacy. The exhibition will be presented at different venues in Igualada and Barcelona as part of the centenary programme.
The programme will also include a concert as part of the Festival Mixtur, an educational concert for the Escolania de Montserrat, two monographic concerts devoted to Padrós’s work, at the Jardí dels Tarongers in Barcelona and at the Teatre Municipal Ateneu d’Igualada, and a lecture-recital at the Biblioteca Central d’Igualada, where audiences will have the opportunity to discover his life and musical work.
Stay tuned for the full programme. We look forward to welcoming you!
Jaume Padrós (1963)