José Antonio Montaño has been selected by the BBVA Foundation as the 2021 winner of its prestigious Leonardo Grant, which is offered to researchers and cultural creators in the category of Music and Opera.
Thanks to this grant, Maestro Montaño will be able to produce the world’s first recording of a selection of sacred works in Latin for alto solo written by Francesco Corselli, an Italian-Spanish musician of the XVIII century. He was director of the Royal Chapel of Madrid for 40 years, and his original manuscripts are housed in the Archive of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Corselli was unique in his ability to blend the modern style of Italian music so prevalent in Europe at that time with the impressive heritage of music of the Spanish Renaissance. The upcoming CD will also include instrumental works by Giovanni Battista-Sammartini and Mauro D’Alay.
Montaño, who recovers historic manuscripts and edits them, will direct this project with his period instrument orchestra La Madrileña and countertenor Carlos Mena.