‎L’Auditori opens its new season with the first concert by the ‎‎Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Two of today’s most outstanding British ‎musicians, conductor Duncan Ward and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, will ‎perform one of Britain’s leading works: Edward Elgar’s ‎‎Violin Concerto.‎
The concert will also include the world premiere of U, ‎‎by Bernat Vivancos in his debut as this ‎season’s guest composer. The concert will be rounded off with a selection of ‎pieces from Romeo and Juliet by ‎Prokofiev. ‎
‎This will be Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s third visit to L’Auditori to perform a ‎work that he is well familiar with, which he recorded for the DECCA record label with Simon ‎Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. As for Duncan Ward, this is the second ‎time he will step onto the Sala 1 podium . He will be conducting an ambitious ‎programme, including a new work by Bernat Vivancos: a commission by ‎L’Auditori that marks the beginning of Vivancos’ residency as a composer for the ‎‎2021-22 season.‎

This season, Sala 1, Pau Casals features a new stage extension, providing ‎more space and allowing for the symphonic productions so characteristic of the OBC, which ‎had to be relinquished last season due to Covid restrictions. Thanks to the stage extension, ‎the OBC will regain its full potential as a symphony orchestra and audiences will once ‎again be able to enjoy the maximum impact of all its instruments. This technical solution ‎means that the necessary distance between the musicians can be guaranteed without the ‎need to sacrifice fuller symphonic repertoires.‎

The programme for the 2021-22 season revolves around the theme of love and ‎hate, guaranteeing audiences a superb series of concerts this autumn. ‎

In the case of the OBC, the presence of Ludovic ‎Morlot should be highlighted. He will be conducting Suite No. ‎‎2 from Daphnis and Chloé by ‎Ravel, in addition to D’un matin de ‎printemps by French composer Lili Boulanger, a ‎programme in which Morlot will be replacing Lionel Bringuier. Neither must a work of such ‎extreme sensitivity as Enigma ‎Variations by Elgar be forgotten, conducted by ‎‎Kazushi Ono. This work will contrast with the Spanish premiere, at the ‎same concert, of Moment of Blossoming by ‎Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa, a work performed by trumpet ‎soloist from the Berlin Philharmonic, Stefan Dohr, who will once again be playing ‎with the OBC.‎

‎Matthias Pintscher will be conducting one of the most emblematic ‎symphonic lied, The Song of the Earth by Gustav ‎Mahler, accompanied by tenor Michael Schade and baritone José Antonio ‎López as soloists. Absolute Jest will introduce ‎audiences to John Adams at his most authentic, under the baton ‎of Nuno Coelho, one of the OBC’s most highly regarded conductors, who will also ‎conduct Vivace from String Quartet No. 16 in F ‎Major by Beethoven, with Cuarteto Casals as a ‎soloist ensemble within the OBC.‎

‎Thomas Adès, one of today’s most highly acclaimed composers , will end ‎his residency as L’Auditori’s guest composer, which he began last season, by conducting a ‎selection of his own works with the OBC, some of which will be premiered for the ‎first time in Spain, such as Märchentänze, with ‎‎solo violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Thomas Adès will also be taking part ‎in L’Auditori’s Chamber season, ‎performingWinterreise by Schubert at the ‎piano, accompanied by famous British baritone, Ian Bostridge.‎

One of the star features of L’Auditori’s autumn season is the ‎‎Cinderella programme, which will feature flamenco ‎singers María José Llergo and Pere Martínez, accompanied by Marco Mezquida and Carles ‎Marigó at the piano, for the world premiere of Tres amores oscuros ‎‎(Three Dark Loves) by Enric Palomar. The programme will ‎be conducted by Josep Caballé. In December, virtuoso Japanese ‎violinist Fumiaki Miura will join forces with violinist and conductor Pinchas ‎Zukerman to perform the Concerto for Two Violins ‎‎by Bach. The year will close with a programme conducted by Anja ‎Bihlmaier, whose highpoints are Symphony No. ‎‎2 by Sibelius and the Clarinet ‎Concerto by Nielsen, featuring superb Seville-born ‎clarinettist Pablo Barragán.‎

As for the Música Antiga programme, Jordi Savall‘s ‎much-awaited visit must be highlighted. He continues to offer Beethoven’s ‎Complete Symphonies with his ensembles, on this occasion ‎‎Symphonies No. 6 and No. ‎‎7. The programme of Música de Cambra will open ‎‎with a magnificent concert that will review Robert Gerhard’s ‎vocal works, with soprano Maria Hinojosa, mezzo soprano Anna Alàs and pianists Francisco ‎Poyato and Anna Creixells.‎

Two highpoints of the Sit Back modern music ‎programme are the concert by Kings of Convenience, which is already sold ‎out, and the concert by Pau Vallvé. At the ‎Sessions, another event not to be missed is the concert by Xavi ‎Torres, commissioned by L’Auditori, at which the pianist will take a new ‎look at Beethoven’s symphonies in a jazz key. ‎

The Barcelona Symphony Band will continue to delight ‎audiences with a mix of newly created pieces, works for band and great classics, ‎including works like An American in ‎Paris and El amor ‎brujo , a concert devoted to Broadway ‎musicals and another featuring arias from operas by Puccini and ‎Verdi. ‎

The family concerts will include some of L’Auditori’s classics and the ‎revival of two of its most important staged performances from recent years: ‎‎Out of the Cage and ‎‎Broadband.