The organ is the star instrument at Barcelona’s Music Museum

The Barcelona Museum of Music has a wealth of valuable instruments on display and one of the most iconic is an organ from the Santa María de Jesús convent in Avila that was constructed exactly 300 years ago by the organ builder Manuel Pérez Molero. As well as being on display in the museum, thanks to the restauration work carried out by the team at Gerhard Grenzing’s workshop, this organ is also used in recitals. You can hear it in action at the museum for yourself when, on one Sunday every month, organists Fernando Artime and Joan Seguí, both of whom are graduates from the ESMUC music school, perform recitals under the name Pérez Molero & Friends.

The performances begin at 12 noon and for now are scheduled for 31 March and 28 April. Attendees at these concerts will find out that the organ stands out for both its volume and for its ornate appearance, being constructed of stucco and jaspered wood in an imitation marble design that incorporates gilded reliefs and crowned by a heraldic shield. Like many old organs playing the organ is a two-person affair since one person is needed to play the keyboard while another operates the bellows.

Capacity in the museum’s Keyboard Room, which will host the concert, is limited and early booking is therefore highly recommended. The same ticket gives you access to the museum’s collections and will even allow you to make a second visit until 31 August. Additional information is available at the following link.