Barcelona sounds like many things, and among them classical music. This genre holds a special place in the city, with orchestras, quartets and pianists in the city offering authentic plans for music lovers. From large seasonal concerts to small concerts, the classical scene is varied, accessible and, in many cases, free of charge. Whether you’ve been enjoying it for a while or just want to discover it, here’s everything you need to know about classical music in Barcelona.
Table Of Contents
Venues where classical music concerts are held in Barcelona
1. Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the most special places to enjoy classical music in Barcelona. Orchestras such as the Franz Schubert Filharmonia have performed here, with repertoires by Mozart, Beethoven or Tchaikovsky, and soloists such as violinist Lisa Batiashvili. It also hosts concert series such as Candlelight, which fill its beautiful main hall, with programs ranging from Vivaldi to soundtracks and current hits, performed by groups such as the Manfred Quartet.
📍 Carrer del Palau de la Música, 4-6
2. L’Auditori
Mahler, Brahms, Dvořák… at L’Auditori the great symphonies are performed by the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (OBC), which has its headquarters here and presents a large part of its seasonal programs. In addition to its concerts, this space has also received international orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, which performed with pianist Yuja Wang, and soloists such as Maria João Pires, with recitals dedicated to Beethoven and Chopin.
📍 Carrer de Lepant, 150
3. Gran Teatre del Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu is the temple par excellence of opera in Barcelona, but its program also opens its doors to symphonic concerts. The Orquestra Simfònica del Liceu performs frequently on this emblematic stage, under the baton of conductors of the stature of Josep Pons, Paolo Bortolameolli or Gustavo Dudamel. In addition, the Liceu has been a meeting point for ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra and for top-level soloists such as soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Juan Diego Flórez, protagonists of some of the most acclaimed productions of recent years.
📍 La Rambla, 59
4. Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
Organ recitals, choral music and the great works of the sacred repertoire have a fixed place in the program of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, one of the most outstanding examples of Catalan Gothic. The Jove Filharmònica Catalana has performed here with pieces such as Mozart’s Requiem, and concerts are also held here as part of the Llums d’Antiga festival, which brings early music to some of Barcelona’s most emblematic buildings.
📍 Plaça de Santa Maria, 1
5. Gaudí Crypt
The Crypt of Colònia Güell, the work of Antoni Gaudí and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also has its place in Barcelona’s classical music scene, especially through the aforementioned Candlelight concert series. In this modernist corner, string quartets such as the Barcelona Quartet have performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, pieces by Mozart and works by Bach. In addition, concerts organized by the City Council of Santa Coloma, with chamber music proposals such as those of the Quartet Dyna and piano recitals by musicians such as Ricard Martí Puig.
📍 Carrer Claudi, Carrer Reixach, s/n
Main orchestras of Barcelona
Symphony Orchestra of Barcelona and National Orchestra of Catalonia
Founded in 1944 by Eduard Toldrà as “Orquestra Municipal de Barcelona”, the OBC was born to bring symphonic music to the whole city. Since then it has evolved, changed its name in the 90s and today it is conducted by Ludovic Morlot, who has led tours to stages such as Carnegie Hall or the London Proms. There are about 80 musicians, mixing lifetime works with more current composers such as Hèctor Parra.
Liceu Symphony Orchestra
The Orquestra Simfònica del Liceu has accompanied the theater’s productions for over 175 years and is one of the oldest active orchestras in Barcelona. It currently has more than 70 musicians and is conducted by Josep Pons. In addition to its role in the opera season, the orchestra participates in educational projects such as Liceu Jove and educational concerts for families in small halls of the theater.
Barcelona Municipal Band
Since 1886, the Municipal Band has provided the soundtrack to the life of the city: it began with pasodobles and salon pieces, and with the impetus of Joan Lamote de Grignon it consolidated itself as a professional group, even playing at the Frankfurt Exhibition in 1927. Today, with more than 40 musicians and under the direction of Salvador Brotons, it participates in celebrations such as La Mercè and Santa Eulàlia and organizes educational cycles such as Bandàstic.
Classical music events in Barcelona
Barcelona Cathedral Organ Series
This is a free plan that allows you to listen every month, on a Wednesday afternoon, the historic Clicquot organ of the sixteenth century under the direction of organist Juan de la Rubia. Names such as Olivier Houette, Nathan Laube and Miquel González, who combined organ and trumpet in a program of Bach, Albinoni and Telemann, have taken the stage. Works by Mozart or Bartók, and even contemporary repertoire have also been played, making the Cathedral the ideal place to discover the organ without spending a single euro.
Ciutat de Clàssica
Ciutat de Clàssica is part of Barcelona Obertura and is held every spring in venues as varied as the Liceu, the Palau or L’Auditori, and also in less conventional places such as the Fundació Miró, Casa Batlló or neighborhood civic centers. An important part of the program is free and allows you to enjoy piano recitals, chamber music proposals, contemporary music groups and more.
Saturday Classics at MEAM
“Saturday Classics” is an initiative of the MEAM in which every Saturday is an opportunity to encounter the sound of classical music in a space full of contemporary art. Piano, guitar, violin, viola? Evenings in which to rediscover one of the most famous museums in Barcelona, while listening to songs by Handel, Schubert or Chopin.