Classical music at the Collserola Tower, Refuge 307 and 25 other venues
The sixth edition of the Barcelona Apertura Ciudad de Clásica Festival has scheduled more than forty concerts
BarcelonaThe opera Lohengrin Wagner's opera at the Liceu and a concert by the vocal group Qvinta Essençia at the Collserola Tower are part of the same programme: the sixth edition of the Barcelona Obertura Ciutat de Clàssica festival, which will be held from 19 March to 11 April. As every year, the musical offering is spread out on two fronts. One front includes the concerts and operas that are part of the programmes of L'Auditori, the Liceu and the Palau de la Música, the three institutions of the Festival together with Barcelona Global. "It is an extraordinary project for the programme and the repertoire, and also because it is the fruit of the joint work of the three institutions. It is unusual that they understand each other so well. We are the envy of many," said the director of L'Auditori, Robert Brufau, at a press conference on Wednesday.
On the other hand, there are 23 free concerts in different spaces around the city, such as the Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm, the MNAC, the Palau Güell, the Miró Foundation, the Casa Seat, the Cotxeres de Sants Civic Centre and the UB Faculty of Pharmacy. One of the new features this year is the incorporation of heritage or iconic spaces such as the Pedralbes Monastery, the Casa del Agua de la Trinidad Nueva, the Gabriel García Márquez Library, the Depósito del Rey Martín, the Refugio 307, the UB Faculty of Law and the Cristo Mackay parish church. "It's a church with incredible acoustics," explains Víctor Medem, artistic director of Ciutat Clàssica.
The other novelty of 2025 is the entry of Barcelona Tourism into Barcelona Apertura as a "coordinating body" in charge of "economic management and promotion to boost Barcelona's international positioning as a destination for culture and music." As the director general of Barcelona Tourism, Mateu Hernández, has said, it is also about "pairing the city with the classical music offer." "Tourism can provide tickets and audiences, and also pride in the city," adds Hernández, who considers culture as an element of attraction for quality tourism. "Come for the music and stay for the rest," he defends as a slogan. This year the festival receives "350,000 euros of extraordinary contribution" from Barcelona City Council, as detailed by the Councilor for Culture, Xavier Marcé; that is, 80,000 more than in 2024. Part of the 350,000 euros comes from the Barcelona Institute of Culture (Icub) and the other part from Turisme de Barcelona, through the collection of the tourist tax.
Currentzis, Silvia Pérez Cruz and Nadine Sierra
As for the programming of the three major facilities, L'Auditori hosts eight concerts, including the Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky performed by the OBC, directed by Juanjo Mena and with Marc Bouchnov as soloist; The grouper by Debussy in a program that also includes the premiere of Magical domain, by Feliu Gassull, with Sílvia Pérez Cruz as solo voice; and the Second Mahler by Teodor Currentzis and musicAeterna (a concert promoted by Ibercamera). Currentzis will also conduct the Palau de la Música Novena
The different cycles of the Palau de la Música bring eight concerts to Barcelona Obertura. For example, the one by Ton Koopman leading the Franz Schubert Filharmonia; Passion according to Saint Matthew of Bach with the RIAS Kammerchor and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and the Passion according to Saint John with Vox Luminis and the Freiburger Barockorchester; and the recital by tenor Jonas Kaufmann and soprano Diana Damrau, which will be recorded on video.
Finally, the Liceu's offer consists of three performances of the opera Lohengrin, by Wagner, with stage direction by Katharina Wagner (the composer's great-granddaughter) and a cast including Klaus Florian Vogt, Elisabeth Teige and Iréne Theorin; and the recital by the sopranos Nadine Sierra and Pretty Yende.
In addition, some musicians from the Liceu orchestra, such as the Trio Ainé, and others from the Barcelona Municipal Band, such as a double wind quintet, will participate in the free Ciudad de Clásica programme, which has as its artistic lines the commemoration of the centenaries of Luciano Beriot (0) Maurice Ravel; the string sextets; a tribute to the Da Camera Musical Association, founded in Barcelona in 1913; and "visionary" works by Liszt, Chopin and Tomás Luis de Victoria. Among the musicians who will perform in these concerts are also linked to the Liceu Conservatory, the Orfeó Català and the OBC. Tickets for the free concerts can be reserved on the Barcelona Opening City of Classic website: Tuesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. for concerts from March 19 to 28; and Wednesday, March 19 for concerts from March 29 to April 11.
