Palau project
Artistic Project
Excellence, participation, social commitment and Catalan identity are the values which lie behind the strategic positioning of the Fundació Orfeó Català-Palau de la Música Catalana, the same values which in 1905 led the Orfeó Català to build the Palau de la Música and secure the position of the 20th-century choral scene.
The Fundació Orfeó Català-Palau de la Música Catalana concert season blazes a new trail in programme terms, representing a genuinely distinctive artistic discourse of its own to make the Orfeó Català, the choirs of its Escola Coral and the Cor de Cambra of the Palau, together with the Palau de la Música itself, ambassadors for artistic excellence through their musical activities.
A programme based on five artistic goals: excellence, in particular through Palau 100, within which every concert aims to be a unique, extraordinary event: the central role of the choirs, with the Orfeó Català and the Cor de Cambra renewed; commitment to contemporary music; attention to Catalan performers; and a desire to attract new audiences to the Palau.
The Palau's artistic project, therefore, aims for music to express the raison d'être of its wonderful Art Nouveau temple for ever, and invites audiences to experience musical emotions which will enhance their life in these difficult times. This is the mission which underlies the Fundació OC-PMC's artistic project.
Educational Project
The educational project of the Palau de la Música Catalana is a comprehensive programme in a constant dialogue with the Palau concert programme and its heritage. Its aim is to consolidate an educational project of its own by fostering public participation across generations, interaction with other disciplines, training and interaction with the musical programmes of the Palau itself and promotion of its artistic heritage.
In line with the criteria of excellence, the central role of the choirs, Catalan identity and attention to contemporary music, two specific programmes are run: one for families and the other for schools.
At the same time, initiatives such as "Parlem de música" ("Let's Talk About Music") in the Palau 100 season are consolidated and extended with the publication of educational follow-up material, association with activities in the city or the participation and commitment by regular Palau artists to activities prior to concerts aimed at getting audiences involved.
ECHO
Since the end of 2011, the Palau de la Música Catalana has been a member of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), Europe's leading association of concert auditoria and venues. ECHO represents a platform for open exchange and joint reflection on the shared opportunities, novelties and challenges faced by concert venues in the 21st century.
As only the most innovative auditoria with a commitment to excellence are chosen, forming part of this restricted group is a real honour. The Palau de la Música Catalana and the Orfeó Català, with their staff, the support of their sponsors and institutions, together with the enthusiastic attendance by audiences, have made this achievement possible. Above and beyond the international prestige this means for the Palau de la Música, belonging to ECHO allows it not only to host, but also to organise co-productions and exchanges to enhance even more the musical activities of this Art Nouveau venue.
As a result of cooperation with ECHO, this season sees a new series of concerts (ECHO Rising Stars) which will allow the youngest soloists to perform in Europe's top concert venues.
The other venues in ECHO are:
Barbican Centre London
BOZAR Brussels
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lisbon
Casa da Música Porto
Cité de la musique - Philharmonie
de Paris
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Kölner Philharmonie
Konzerthaus Dortmund
Laeiszhalle Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
L'Auditori Barcelona
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall
Müpa Budapest
Musikverein Wien
Philharmonie Luxembourg
Sage Gateshead
Stockholms Konserthus
Théâtre des Champs-Elysées Paris
Town Hall & Symphony Hall Birmingham
Wiener Konzerthaus
For more information, consult the official website: www.concerthallorganisation.eu/