The Capella de Musica de Santa Maria del Mar (CMSMM) is a vocal chamber ensemble founded in 1986 by Enric Gispert, who conducted the choir until his death in 1990. Manel Valdivieso and Sergi Casademunt then took over as directors. A new period started in 1994, under the leadership of Llu¡s Vilamaj¢. Manel Valdivieso has been principal conductor since September, 1999.

Since their foundation, the Capella have had a full programme of concerts and have taken part in numerous musical events of note such as the Barcelona International Music Festival, the 11th. Barcelona Early Music Festival, the "Organs of Catalonia" series of concerts, the International Congress of Hispanic Musicology, the "Catalan Music and Musicians" concert series organised by Euroconcert, the 13th. and 14th. seasons of Euroconcert concerts at the Palau de la Música Catalana, the 20th. Joan Brudieu International Music Festival, the Festival de Musique at Vin‡a (southern France), the Tiempo él sico concert series at Valladolid, Europa en Concert, and numerous concerts at Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Trossingen, Ulm and Luxembourg. On CD they have recorded "Medieval Polyphony in Catalonia 13th. and 14th. centuries" (PDI, 1990) and "Liturgical Dramas of Medieval Catalonia" (Discant, 1999). They have also broadcast on Radio Nacional de Espa¤a and Catalunya M£sica. The Capella have performed with conductors of renown such as Jaume Miranda, Josep Prats, Xavier Sans, Pierre Cao and Claudius Traunfellner.

While offering a repertoire comprising all styles and periods, the Capella have paid special attention to medieval and Renaissance religious music. Their repertoire includes liturgical dramas from the middle ages in Catalonia, pieces from the Cancionero de Uppsala and the Cancionero de Palacio (the "Uppsala" and "Palace" Songbooks), works by Mateu Fletxa the Elder, Canciones y villanescas espirituales by Francisco Guerrero, religious music by Victoria, Palestrina, Byrd and Purcell, the Missa Defunctorum by Joan Cererols, works by Father Antoni Soler, Carissimi's oratorio Jephte, Banchieri's madrigal comedy La Barca di Venezia per Padova, the Magnificat and other cantatas and motets by J. S. Bach, motets and spiritual madrigals by Schutz and Johann Hermann Schein, masonic music by Mozart, lieder by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schumann, Wolf anf Grieg, Faur‚'s Requiem, religious music by Poulenc, Britten's Hymn to Saint Cecilia, Bernstein's 8-voice Mass and works by 20th. century Catalan composers such as Frederic Mompou, Jaume Padr¢s, David Padr¢s, Josep Vila, Xavier Sans and Bernat Vivancos. In addition to performances of this music, the Capella has been involved in bringing indigenous popular vocal repertoire to audiences throughout Catalonia. They have also taken part in recuperating the musical traditions of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona: at present they sing the Sibyl's Chant there every 24 December.

Mireia Barrera studied at the Barcelona Municipal Conservatoire and at the age of fifteen was already conducting children's choirs. She has studied singing with Maria Dolors Aldea, and choral conducting with Manuel Cabero, Josep Prats, Enric Carb¢, Laszlo Heltay and Johan D_yk. Between 1989 and 1992 she studied conducting with Pierre Cao at the Centre Internationale de Chant Chorale in Namur, Belgium. In 1992 she was assistant director of the Jeunesses Musicales World Choir at Torroella de Montgrí. From 1989 to 1993 she was a member of the technical staff of the Federació Catalana d'Entitats Corals (FCEC), and between 1992 and 1998 taught on the courses of choral conducting organised by the Federaci¢. She has given several conducting courses for mixed or children's choirs at Cervera, Murcia and Palma de Mallorca, as well as in Minorca, Asturias and the Basque Country.

Mireia Barrera has also taught choral conducting at the conservatoires at Cervera (1994-5), Terrassa (1997-98) and the Liceu (1998-9).

From 1986 to 1995 she conducted the Cor Ariadna, between 1994 and 1998 the Cervera Conservatoire Choir, and from 1993 to 1999 the Children's Choir at the Escola Pia Balmes school (a choir which operates in collaboration with the Liceu opera house).

At present Mireia Barrera teaches on the Advanced Course of Choral Conducting organised by the FCEC, conducts the Cor Aura of the Palau de la M£sica Music School, the Petits Cantaires children's choir (La Guineu Music School) and the Cor Madrigal.