The Auditori de Barcelona turns 25

Following an agreement between several public bodies, the Auditori was inaugurated some 25 years ago, marking a major step forward in the musical and artistic development of Barcelona. The Auditori now hosts some 500 concerts and welcomes numerous major international artists every year.

Mirroring the Cité de la musique de Paris, the Auditori building designed by Rafael Moneo was officially opened on March 22, 1999, taking advantage of major changes being carried out in this part of the city and bringing cultural life to a neighborhood a short walk from city center. Having now staged an impressive total of 14,000 concerts and delighted millions of concertgoers, the Auditori closes this quarter-centenary stronger than ever.

How to celebrate the anniversary

There will be a series of performances to celebrate the anniversary during March, including both national and international concerts. With four world premieres, this important center for Catalan music will be showcasing Utopia by Oriol Saladrigues and Las constelaciones que más brillan by Raquel García-Tomás. And there will be performances by pianist Denis Kozhukhin and soprano Anna Devin, who will be performing on the 25th anniversary of the inauguration.

As in its beginnings, L'Auditori aims to make music available to all. That's why these concerts attarct a wide variety of artists and musicians, from Catalonia and further afield.

In order to commemorate the history of the Auditori, the Barcelona Music Museum will be holding an exhibition on the last 25 years, which will be free to visitors during the two weekends of March 9-10 and 22-24.

For highlights click here.

Looking towards a sustainable future

As a response to the climate emergency, the institution invested 3.3 million euros three years ago to improve the building’s energy consumption and efficiency. Some 1,197 photovoltaic panels producing 678,400kWh of clean energy per year have been installed, along with improvements in lighting and in the production of water for domestic use.

Investments have also been made in the acoustics of the Pau Casals concert hall in order to improve the experience for both soloists and symphony orchestras.

These advances, together with the Auditori’s 25 years’ experience, make the Auditori an international benchmark, and well-positioned to ensure that the city continues to benefit from a flourishing musical scene well into the future..