Joan Manuel Serrat and Núria Espert, Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia

As reported by the advisor and spokesperson of the Government, Sílvia Paneque, during the press conference after the weekly meeting, the presentation of this award will take place Monday afternoon during an institutional event at the Palace of the Generalitat in the presence of the regional president.

With this Gold Medal, the Generalitat honors, on the one hand, “the exceptional artistic career and the deep civic and humanist commitment” of Serrat, “a primordial figure of Catalan and universal culture.” The singer-songwriter, born in Barcelona in 1943, was “one of the central names of Nova Cançó” and has built “a body of work that unites music, poetry and common values, with sustained international projection for decades.”

For its part, the prize awarded to Espert rewards “an exceptional artistic career spanning more than seven decades which has made him one of the great figures of contemporary performing arts”. The artist was born in Hospitalet de Llobregat in 1935 and began her theatrical career very young, soon establishing herself “as a leading actress, with a national and international projection unprecedented”.

The Catalan Government also recognizes that Serrat, throughout his career, has set to music universal poets such as Antonio Machado, Miguel Hernández, Rafael Alberti and Mario Benedetti, as well as Catalan authors such as Joan Salvat-Papasseit. And he highlighted iconic albums and songs like ‘Mediterranean’, “Original soundtrack of an era”, of a country”, “Ara que tinc vint anys” or “Cançó de matinada”, which are “generational references”.

His commitment to “creative freedom and with the Catalan language”, which led him to face the censorship of the Franco dictatorship, with episodes like his refusal to participate in Eurovision in 1968 or his exile in 1975. “This commitment was also projected in Latin America, where it became a symbol of democratic resistance and a moral reference for various generations.”

Among the many distinctions that Serrat has already received are the Gold Medal of Barcelona, ​​the Medal of Honor of the Parliament of Catalonia, the National Culture Prize, the National Prize for Current Music, the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise and, recently, the Princess of Asturias Prize.

Espert, pioneer artist

As for Espert, the Generalitat highlighted that the artist founded his own theater company, distinguished by “his versatility and his artistic demands”, masterfully interpreting both the classical repertoire and contemporary authors. And Paneque stressed that Espert was “the first woman to play Hamlet in Spain” and contributed decisively to the international dissemination of authors such as Federico García Lorca and Jean Genet.

Espert also suffered censorship from the Franco dictatorship, “which reinforced his commitment to freedom, equality and human dignity, transforming the theater into a space of cultural resistance.” Apart from her acting career, she has done remarkable work as a director and cultural manager, with responsibilities such as the direction of the National Drama Center (in Madrid) and with productions in theaters and operas of first international level.

Throughout his professional life, Espert has also received numerous awards, including the Cross of Sant Jordi, the National Theater Prize, the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the National Culture Prize, the Pau Casals Prize and the Princess of Asturias Prize for the Arts, as well as various international distinctions and honorary doctorates.