Pilar Almalé (Zaragoza, 1993) is a Spanish viola da gamba player, singer, composer, and artistic director specializing in early music, which she enriches with jazz, Latin American, and traditional music influences. As an interdisciplinary artist, she has training in fine arts, dance, and aesthetic theory. She has performed on prominent national and international stages and collaborated with renowned artists such as Jordi Savall, Dulce Pontes, Carlos Núñez, actor Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola, and flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena.
Born in Zaragoza, Almalé received her education across Spain, Europe, and India, culminating in 2019 at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Vigo and in 2016 at the University of Seville with a degree in Fine Arts. She plays the viola da gamba, violone, medieval vihuela, and esraj, adapting to various performance formats such as theater and dance-theater, and exploring new possibilities across artistic disciplines.
On stage, Pilar Almalé demonstrates a strong aesthetic sense, captivating and moving audiences with her music and performance. Her versatility and multidisciplinary approach allow her to interpret a wide range of music, from Sephardic songs to 20th-century Latin American singer-songwriter pieces.
In 2017, she released her first album, Caja de música, with her duo Caranzalem alongside Elena Escartín. In 2018, she received a commendation at the CREAR18 awards organized by the Aragonese Youth Institute. Her second album, Hixa mía, was released in 2021 under the label Segell Microscopi, with her personal project Pilar Almalé (Quartet). This work was selected by the World Music Charts Europe as one of the top 200 albums of 2022. Additionally, she co-created and co-directed the dance performance Claroscuro de Artemisia with dancer Ana Continente, which won the First Prize Santa Isabel de Portugal for Best Dance Performance of 2022.
As a composer, her notable project Mélodies Oubliées. El Manuscrito de Anne Rochette features arrangements of original manuscript melodies in various styles, from historical to contemporary. She also composed the score for the animated short film about Francisco de Goya, El niño que retrató monstruos, directed by Víctor Izquierdo. The film premiered in 2022, received an honorable mention at the Aragonese Short Film Festival, and was selected for the Málaga Film Festival in 2023.
In 2024, Almalé released her first solo album, Golondrinas.
Discography:
Caja de música, with Caranzalem (2017)
Hixa mía, with Pilar Almalé Quartet (Segell Microscopi, 2021)
Golondrinas (2024)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.