Barcelona Obertura Spring Festival: ‘come for the music, stay for the rest’

The 4th Barcelona Obertura festival, whose goal is to consolidate Barcelona’s position as an international capital of classical music, will be held from March 8 to 31

Music and theater in Barcelona continue to thrive in numerous different forms. Far from declining, classics of the theater, symphonic concerts, and grand opera are now more popular than ever more. Live classical music in Barcelona is a way of life that has deep roots, and the extensive programming at the Liceu Opera, the Palau de la Música Catalana, and the Auditori put Barcelona firmly on the world map

Barcelona is home to three prestigious music venues that feature renowned artists, directors, and orchestras from all around the world. Promoted by Barcelona Global, the festival is a joint initiative that brings together the three most prominent classical classical music venues in the city. The main aim of Barcelona Obertura is to offer an exceptional program that demonstrates Barcelona’s position as a major center for classical music.

This year’s Barcelona Spring Festival the fourth, will be held from March 8 to 31. The festival features a curated selection of the most outstanding events from the three renowned institutions, along with further concerts by Ibercamera, Franz Schubert Philharmonic, and the Liceu Conservatory.

'Ciutat de clàssica' festival

Classical music enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to in Barcelona this March. In addition to the highly anticipated Barcelona Obertura Spring Festival, music lovers can also enjoy the Ciutat de Clàssica festival from March 10-26. The festival features free concerts at 23 iconic venues throughout the city, showcasing young local talent and introducing classical music to new audiences.

From performances of all of Mozart’s piano triosto a cycle of three concerts of music by Johann Sebastian Bacha and Max Reger to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Reger’s birth, Ciutat de Clàssica boasts an impressive lineup. Other highlights include a tribute to Catalan composer Jordi Cervelló and Made in Barcelonaa work that tells the story of the city through music inspired by the city and composed here.

There will be a number of new venues in the festival this year, including the Mirador Torre Glòries, Palau Güell, Can Deu Civic Center, and the Mercè Rodoreda and García Márquez libraries. Meanwhile, Casa Batlló, Casa Seat, Fundación Miró, Fundación Antoni Tàpies, and the city council's network of civic centers will once again host a wide range of free concerts and events.

Come for the music, stay for the rest

In this 4th edition, the festival will feature some of the most significant events on the city’s musical calendar, as well as some new international projects for next season.

Liceu Opera:

7 deaths of Maria Callas, by the artist Marina Abramovic, to coincide with the centenary of the birth of Maria Callas.
Alexina B, by Raquel García-Tomás, winner of the 2020 Spanish Music Award.
An exhibition by García-Tomàs at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Exhibition by the artist Antonio López in the former Modelo prison, in dialogue with Schubert’s Winterreise, to be performed by baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu.

Palau de la Música:

A program of works by Vivaldi directed by Rubén Dubrovsky and featuring Vivica Genaux (March 8).
Il ritorno de Ulisse in patria, by Claudio *Monteverdi, with tenor Mark Padmore (March 14).
Die Schöne Müllerin, by Schubert, with Christoph Prégardien and Roger Vignoles (March 15).
Joshua Bell and the Franz Schubert Filharmonia (March 21).
Saint Matthew Passion, by J.S. Bach, performed by Vox Luminis and the Freiburger Barockorchester and directed by Lionel Meunier (March 30).
Saint John Passion, by J.S Bach, performed by the Collegium Vocale Gente and directed by Philippe Herreweghe (March 31).

L’Auditori:

Brahms’ 2nd symphony, directed by the new director of the OBC, Ludovic Morlot. (March 10 and 11).
Pianist Isata Kaneeth-Mason with the OBC, conducted by Anja Bilhlmaier (24 and 25 March).
Cello recital by Nicolas Altstaedt (March 13).
The Vespers, by Rachmaninoff and Light, by Ramon Humet, performed by the Latvian Radio Choir

International initiatives

In addition to the Barcelona Spring Festival in March, these three renowned institutions will also be collaborating on four international events, due to take place in the coming seasons:

Prestigious American composer David Lang will be in Barcelona to premiere the opera Prisoner of the State, which will be directed by Elkhana Pulizer. (July 2023).
In collaboration with the Liceu, the Palau, the San Francisco Opera, the Palermo Teatro Massimo and the Metropolitan Opera New York, Composer John Adams will be working on a new production of Antonio and Cleopatra. (October/November 2023)
On their first European tour since the pandemic, Gustavo Dudamel and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra will return to Barcelona to present Beethoven’s Fidelio. (May 2024).
A new work by Rufus Wainwright has been commissioned by the Auditori, the Palau, the Orchestre Philarmonique de Radio France, the Royal Ballet, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra (January 2025).

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