The Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV) marks its fortieth season with a record 30 concerts at the Palau de la Música Catalana. The 31st "Simfònics al Palau" cycle pairs familiar works with premieres, and adds cross-genre collaborations, new music and varied stage formats.
Audience numbers are climbing. Last season, the OSV drew 39,000 people, an increase of 8,000 from the year before. It filled 83% of seats on average, and seven concerts sold out. Palau director Joan Oller cited the figures as evidence of the orchestra’s recent growth and a reason to take more programming risks. Catalan media reports have also pointed to the numbers as signs of the institution’s momentum.
The official opening concert on September 19 will feature Beethoven’s 'Emperor' Concerto, alongside works by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Lera Auerbach. Tchaikovsky’s '1812 Overture' is also on the program, information from the Palau’s published schedule.
At the September 19 season opener, pianist Alba Ventura will perform Beethoven’s ‘El emperador’ under conductor Andrés Salado. This will be Ventura’s first performance with the OSV. She has a personal connection to the piece: she made her debut with it at London’s Barbican twenty-five years ago. The official anniversary concert follows on September 28 and marks the 150th anniversary of Pau Casals’s birth. The season runs through May, with 23 different programs and a record 30 concerts, as confirmed by the Palau and several Catalan news outlets.
The OSV is moving beyond its usual repertoire. The program includes three world premieres, along with Brahms’ ‘Danzas húngaras’ and tributes to film composers Williams and Zimmer. It also features a waltz festival and Mozart’s ‘Misa de la coronación’, led by Xavier Puig. Opera and zarzuela join the lineup. ‘L’elisir d’amore’ and ‘Cavalleria rusticana’ are scheduled, along with ‘Pagliacci’ and ‘Cançó d’amor i de guerra’; ‘Aida’ will also be performed during the season. These additions broaden the cycle beyond symphonic music, as set out in the official Palau program.
Changes in leadership accompany the new program. Andrés Salado remains principal conductor, while Noemí Pasquina joins as resident conductor. Isabel Rubio takes the associate conductor role. The lineup has been officially confirmed for the anniversary season. Pasquina will lead the premiere of ‘La dansa del sabre’ by Miquel de Jorge, inspired by Mercè Rodoreda’s poetry and featuring saxophonist Iñaki Bermúdez. Its creators describe the work as a musical “birth”; it also reflects the OSV’s interest in new voices and contemporary Catalan culture.
One of the season's basic premieres, 'Albes i nits' by Miquel de Jorge for saxophone, with orchestra and children's choir, is scheduled for November 21. New works appear throughout the cycle rather than in a single block.
Official Palau de la Música Catalana program
The season also tests different formats. ‘Beethoven & Mezquida’ features pianist Estructura Mezquida reinterpreting Beethoven through improvisation. Multi-instrumentalist Abraham Cupeiro will premiere ‘L’ocell de foc’ by Stravinsky & Abraham Cupeiro, using ancient instruments. The projects aim to draw listeners who might not usually attend symphonic concerts. The season closes on May 29 with Gershwin's "An American in Paris" and two clarinet concertos, by Mozart and Artie Shaw, featuring soloist Carlos Ferreira, information from the Palau's official schedule.
On October 31, the OSV will perform Bernard Herrmann’s score live during a screening of Hitchcock’s ‘Psicosis’. The orchestra is also turning to pop and rock, with symphonic versions of songs by Queen and Bruce Springsteen, alongside music by Pink Floyd. The program also features The Beatles and Donna Summer, with Gloria Gaynor represented as well. Isabel Rubio will conduct. The approach follows recent trends in Catalan music events, including Aitana’s concert at Palau Sant Jordi, where language and identity were in focus.
The OSV aims to broaden the scope of a symphonic season and support new talent. It also wants to make the Palau de la Música a place for tradition and new ideas. Nearly a third of the orchestra’s musicians are new this year, signaling a focus on renewal. The anniversary season looks ahead to the orchestra’s future and its relevance to the next generation. Its programming, audience growth and leadership changes reflect an ambition to set the pace for Catalonia’s musical scene while celebrating its history. Several Catalan media outlets have noted that the season’s official positioning and programming are designed to encourage a conversation between established repertoire and new creative work.
