Enric Miralles and the Construction of the Scottish Parliament
Acompany us for the 20th anniversary of the construction of the Scottish Parliament. The Instituto Cervantes Manchester, Cervantes Chair, and the Consulate of Spain in Edinburgh will host Benedetta Tagliabue and Roberto Cacciapaglia.
Join Allison Johnstone, Presiding Officer of the Parliament, in a discussion about the Holyrood Parliament with Benedetta, widow of the Spanish architect Enric Miralles, who, together with his EMBT studio and the Scottish architectural firm RMJM, designed the Scottish Parliament building. This discussion will be accompanied by musical pieces by Roberto Cacciapaglia. Excerpts from the opera ‘Mai per Atzar’ (Never by Chance), along with music from his repertoire in honor of Enric Miralles, will be performed by the renowned composer and pianist Roberto Cacciapaglia in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
Benedetta Tagliabue is an internationally renowned architect. She is the co-founder, together with Enric Miralles (1955–2000), of EMBT Architects, as well as the founder and president of the Fundació Enric Miralles. She is known for iconic works such as the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh (2004), the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona (2005), and the Spanish Pavilion for the Expo Shanghai 2010. Currently, she is a visiting professor at Harvard, Columbia, Yale, and ETSAB, and serves on prestigious international award juries. She has received several awards, including the RIBA Stirling Prize and national Spanish awards.
Roberto Cacciapaglia is an Italian composer and pianist, born in Milan. He obtained his diploma in composition under the guidance of Bruno Bettinelli at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan. His studies also focused on electronic music and orchestral conducting. His work includes albums and concerts with international orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala Academy, and the Moscow Imperial Orchestra, Carnegie Hall - New York. He also composed ‘Tree of Life,’ the soundtrack for the Tree of Life Night Show at EXPO 2015 in Milan. In 2023, Roberto received the Montale Award in Milan for his music, and in 2024, he performed the world premiere of Incipit / Moz-Art K.488 ReCompose at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh.
This celebration will be held as the inaugural event of the Festival of Politics.
