Creator of the music for the 10th Anniversary of King Felipe VI, he reflects on his international career and a body of work marked by artistic identity.
By Susan Villa
Over more than two decades of artistic trajectory, Óscar Navarro has established himself as one of the most recognizable and personal voices in contemporary music, with a distinctive language that moves naturally between symphonic music, the audiovisual field, and the international concert scene. His work—performed in some of the world’s most emblematic auditoriums and theatres, such as Carnegie Hall, La Scala, and the Auditorio Nacional—is distinguished by a profound emotional charge and a clear narrative vocation, where music not only sounds, but tells stories and seeks a direct connection with the listener. Far removed from preconceived formulas, Navarro understands composition as a vital process, in which artistic identity is built progressively, through creative honesty and the need to communicate from the most intimate place.
In this interview, the composer reflects on the importance of emotion as both the driving force and the ultimate destination of his creative process, on the responsibility involved in undertaking works of an institutional nature, and on particularly significant projects in his career, such as “Donde nacen los sueños”, a proposal that brings together music, image, and community from a deeply human perspective. He also reviews his current professional moment, marked by the celebration of his 20th anniversary as a composer with an extensive international tour and intense symphonic and audiovisual activity. A conversation that allows us to delve not only into Óscar Navarro’s craft and career, but also into the sensitivity and artistic commitment of a creator who conceives music as a direct language of emotion, memory, and encounter.
1. Throughout your career you have combined symphonic music, film, and the international concert scene. When did you feel you had found your own voice as a composer?
I sincerely believe that one’s own voice does not appear suddenly, but is revealed little by little. There came a moment when I stopped asking myself how my music should sound and began to write simply what I felt, without filters. That was when I understood that my identity was tied to emotion, to storytelling, and to a very direct way of communicating with the audience.
2. Your work is characterized by a strong emotional charge. What role does emotion play in your creative process?
Emotion is both the starting point and the destination. I do not conceive of music as an isolated intellectual or technical exercise, but as a language for conveying feelings. When I compose, I seek to connect with myself and, through music, with whoever listens to it. If there is no emotion and no connection with the listener, I feel the work remains incomplete.
3. Your music has been performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, La Scala, and the Auditorio Nacional. What do these spaces mean to you as a composer?
They are spaces filled with history and a very special energy. Knowing that my music has been heard there is deeply moving and a great honor. Beyond the prestige, what impresses me most is thinking that my works have formed part, even if only for an instant, of the musical life of such iconic places.
4. “Donde nacen los sueños” is a project closely linked to community and the Christmas spirit. What does this work represent within your artistic trajectory?
It is a very special project for me, perhaps one of the most personal. It brings together music, image, emotion, and community. It does not speak only about Christmas, but about hope, childhood, and the ability to believe and to dream. It represents an important step in my career because it reflects very clearly who I am now, both artistically and humanly.
5. In “Donde nacen los sueños”, the music supports the narrative development of the videoclip. How did you approach the composition of this work from a creative standpoint?
From the very beginning, I was clear that the music had to tell the story almost on its own. Each theme, each transition, is designed to emotionally accompany the viewer. I worked on the piece almost as if it were a short film without dialogue, where the music guides the narrative and reinforces every key moment.
6. You recently composed the Commemorative Music for the 10th Anniversary of the Proclamation of His Majesty King Felipe VI. How did you approach the responsibility of an institutional work?
With great enthusiasm, respect, and a strong sense of responsibility. In an institutional work, it is important to find a balance between solemnity, closeness, and emotion. My goal was to create music that represented that historic moment, while at the same time remaining sincere and human, faithful to my language as a composer.
Moreover, it coincided with a particularly beautiful time in my life: the birth of my first daughter, Sheila.
7. Finally, what projects are you currently working on?
I am currently immersed in an international tour to celebrate my 20th anniversary as a composer, with more than 20 concerts as a guest conductor/composer in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, the United States, Lithuania, and Latvia, among others.
In addition, I will also celebrate this 20th anniversary together with my symphony orchestra, the Óscar Navarro Symphony Orchestra, with a series of very special concerts in Spain, highlighting venues such as the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, the Auditorium of the Provincial Council of Alicante, and the Auditorio Posada de la Cultura (Noblejas, Toledo), among others.
All of this is combined with several projects in the audiovisual field, a territory I continue to explore and create in with great enthusiasm.
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