At 31 years of age, pianist and composer Marco Mezquida (Spain) already he has some fifty recorded albums, with 16 under his own name (solo piano, different duos and trios) as well as four Award Musician of the Year by the Association of Jazz of Catalonia (2011-2013, 2015). His eclectic interests join a wide range of genres – classical romanticism (Schubert, Chopin) and impressionism (Trio by Ravel), popular music, mainstream jazz, avant-garde and free improvisations, rock and flamenco. Besides working on his own projects, he composes music for theatre and television.
At 34th Belgrade Jazz Festival he will present his solo concert performance on October 26th at Dom omladine Beograda, Main hall. Concert is supported by Spain Embassy in Belgrade and Instituto Cervantes de Belgrado. Tickets available via EVENTIM ticket service.
At age 31 you have already managed to record over 50 albums, perform all over the world, to have many important music awards. Did you expect such a successful career so early in life, when you were at the beginning of your professional career?
Marco Mezquida: I really didn’t expect it. It’s a dream came true, because when I was a student in Menorca, the small island where I’m from, I couldn’t imagine that thanks to the music I would have been played concerts in 30 different countries before being 30 years old, playing in such beautiful halls and amazing cities as Belgrade.
Your music is a mixture of different genres, combination of classic and contemporary music expressions. What influenced your music the most? Or, whom?
Marco Mezquida: I love (and I have studied) many styles of music. I started studying classical piano music when I was 7, but from the beginning I needed to be more creative so I started improvising and composing songs. When I discovered The Beatles music I became really a fan, and I was into the popular music from the radio. I could transcribe and play by memoir many different songs from rock and pop groups. Because I understood how the music worked I could be creative both in classical and modern music. When I was a teenager I discovered Ella Fitzgerald, Keith Jarrett and I really fell in love with jazz music, as well as with Brazilian music thanks to Gal Costa and Egberto Gismonti. And after I rediscovered classical and contemporary music listening Ravel, Ornstein, Stravinsky, Berio, Bernstein… so at the end, I think my music is my personal cocktail of many influences.
Besides the concert activities and albums, you also write music for TV and theatre. What is more difficult thing to do? And what do you enjoy more?
Marco Mezquida: As a musician I’m open to work in different aspects, for example teaching or composing music for theater or TV or some short films. It’s a different pleasure than the concert activity. I love to combine music with other artistic performances. Everything can be difficult or easy, it depends on the moment or the project. But what I really enjoy the most is playing concerts all over the world, because it’s the intensity that I prefer in music: giving the best of me every day and receiving the feedback from the audience.
You have performed at many jazz scenes and festivals, but this will be your first concert at Belgrade Jazz Festival, do you know anything about it?
Marco Mezquida: It will be my first concert in Belgrade and in Serbia, and I’m really looking forward to meet new people there and to offer my best at my solo performance. I have seen, however, beautiful posters of great line-ups from other editions, I know Belgrade Jazz Festival is one of the greatest in Europe, and lasts since 1971, so it’s the festival with a long history.
This year’s slogan of Belgrade Jazz Festival is “No limits”. Is there a limit in contemporary jazz music?
Marco Mezquida: I don’t think so, the music has no limits itself, it depends of the passion of the musicians.
