The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra returns to L’Auditori de Barcelona this weekend to perform their first concert of the autumn season. The orchestra will be the protagonist of twelve productions taking us up to December.

The principal conductor of the OBC, Kazushi Ono, will conduct this first programme, which is entitled “The Imagination”, with the violinist, Maria Florea (Esparraguera, Catalonia) and the viola player Sara Ferrández (Madrid), both of whom are developing successful careers and were acclaimed by Barcelona Symphony fans with their premieres last season. They will play the fantastic Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart.

The evening will be completed with the opening of the ballet Hercule et Omphale by Ferran Sor and Beethoven’s Second which can be heard live via streaming on L’Auditori Digital on Sunday 4 at 11 am.

Our next date with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra is on 10 and 11 October with the Concerto Grosso by Jordi Cervelló, the composer who fascinated the audience of L’Auditori a few days ago at the Barcelona Quartet Biennale, with his quartet Remembrances ,the brilliant Symphony No. 5 by Carles Baguer and the Serenata No. 1 by Johannes Brahms. This programme will be conducted by Edmon Colomer.

During the autumn season we will hear works such as Transfigured Night by Arnold Schönberg, the Three Studies from Couperin by Thomas Adès, guest composer of the season, the Variations On A Theme By Haydn by Brahms, The Song of The Earth by Mahler, In Seven Days by Thomas Adès, Ad limen caeli (Towards the brink of the sky) by Núria Giménez, Ramifications by György Ligeti and Homage to Ligeti by Sofía Martínez.

The presence of Catalan and Spanish artists is notable this season with the baton in the hands of Josep Caballé Domenech. Amongst the soloists, in the limelight are violinists: Vera Martínez Mehner and Abel Tomàs, members of the Cuarteto Casals, who will perform an exceptional work: Tabula Rasa by Arvo Pärt. We shall also hear the baritone José Antonio López and the pianist Neus Estarellas.

The pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and the flautist Emmanuel Pahud, as well as the pianist Sebastian Knauer, the viola player Antoine Tamestit and the tenor Ilker Arcayürek, will be the international, guest soloists to perform with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra in the coming months.

The conductors Giedrė Šlekytė, Tabita Berglund and Zoi Tsokanou head the list of world class conductors which also includes Matthias Pintscher, Lionel Bringuier, Ludovic Morlot, Nuno Coelho and Joseph Bastian.

Once again this season, the whole family will be able to enjoy The OBC Dances Ravel, a performance of music and dance, directed by the choreographer and National Dance Award winner Antonio Ruz.


Special autumn subscriptions and safety measures
The concerts will comply with the established safety measures. Members of the audience must therefore wear face masks at all times, both when entering the building and during the concert. Furthermore, social distancing must be observed in accordance with the health authorities’ instructions, and the lift may only be used by a single person at a time. In addition, no programmes or leaflets will be handed out. Instead, these can be found on the website and using the QR codes displayed throughout L’Auditori, and there will be no cloakroom service. The café and restaurant service will be closed from this weekend, and concerts will be performed without an interval.

L’Auditori de Barcelona will provide hand gel dispensers, and entry and exit from the concert halls will be staggered.