The 5th edition of the Barcelona Obertura Spring Festival: A Barcelona love story

The arrival of spring not only heralds a change in the weather in Barcelona; it also brings a unique cultural event: The Barcelona Obertura Spring Festival.

A major event in the artistic calendar, the festival is a beacon of creativity that attracts renowned international artists. A program that combines classical music with theatrical innovation makes the festival an exciting fusion of many styles.

Barcelona’s strategic position, attractive Mediterranean lifestyle, and long-standing artistic reputation have made it a magnet for international talent. Organizers of major international events such as the MWC, the America’s Cup, and in its day, the 1992 Olympic Games, all turn to Barcelona as the host city. This is undoubtedly also the case for major international musical events.

Even more music this year

From March 5 to 24 this year, the 5th Barcelona Obertura Spring Festival will host no less than 40 concerts and more than 500 international musicians.

Launched 5 years ago by the three leading Catalan musical institutions, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Palau de la Música, and the Auditori de Barcelona, the initiative is promoted by Barcelona Global and the Barcelona City Council. The aim of the festival is to put the rich musical variety of Barcelona on the world map and ensure that the world knows that classical music really matters in Barcelona.

There will be 7 festival concerts at the Auditori, 1 at the Liceu, and another 7 at the Palau.

   
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Music throughout the city 

In addition to a special program that includes a wide variety of concerts, from March 6 to 23 the festival will also bring classical music closer to city residents: Ciutat de Clássica is a series of 23 free concerts in different unique locations of the city: the Palau Güell, the Picasso Museum, and Casa Batlló, among others. New venues this year include Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Barcelona, the Montbau Library, and the Montserrat Abelló Library, which will all offer unique programs.

Free tickets for the concerts from March 17 to 23 may be booked on the Barcelona Obertura website from Friday, March 8 at 10 am.

The program this year 

This year’s festival is packed full of exciting concerts that classical music lovers can enjoy on a daily basis. The opening concert took place on Wednesday at the Antigua Fábrica de Estrella Damm, where concertgoers were able to discover the SenArts Quintet and the Saxophone Ensemble from the Conservatori Liceu.

This week there have also been performances by Anna Vinnitskaya on piano, Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan on piano and cello, and the works of Beethoven and Mozart conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. Many more concerts are keenly anticipated: Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea by The English Concert, and Georg Friedrich Händel's eagerly awaited Messiah, with arrangements by W. A. Mozart conducted by Robert Wilson.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to encounter some of the great artists in venues like the Picasso Museum, Casa Batlló, MACBA or the MNAC, some of Barcelona’s most magical locations.

Click hereto see the full program and to buy your tickets!