Lied's festival by excellence
The 10th edition of the LIFE Victoria Barcelona alternates young talent with international artists.
Until 2 February, the city will be witness to a new edition of the Lied Festival Victoria de los Ángeles, a contest that pays homage to the Barcelona soprano and combines the different sides that defined her: the love for Lied, excellence and the promotion of new talents.
The Fundació Victoria de los Ángeles is promoting the cycle dedicated to the Lied genre, which combines recitals by internationally renowned artists (LIFE Recitals), an innovative format that allows young performers to sing as opening singers alongside established musicians (LIFE New Artists), and a series of training activities (LIFE Akademie).
This year's programme, which you can download it at this link, includes 17 concerts. Most of them will be at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau site, but other spaces, such as the Antiga Fàbrica Damm, the Auditori AXA or the Teatre-Auditori de Sant Cugat del Vallès, will also host some.
When it comes to the performers, the LIFE Victoria Barcelona will focus on Richard Strauss, "the most liederistic of opera composers and the most operatic of lied composers". You will also be able to listen to the sonata for violin and piano from the Four last songs and most of his famous Lieder. Gustav Mahler will also have a special appearance with Rückert-Lieder, the Symphony No. 4, and the cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
The performers will be Fatma Said (soprano) and Malcolm Martineau (piano) on 28 September; Martin Hässler (bass-baritone) and Julius Drake (piano) on 3 October; Elisa Scudeller (violin) and Miquel Esquinas (piano), and Regula Mühlemann (soprano) and Tatjana Kornsunskaya (piano) on 7 October at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively; Adriana González (soprano) and Iñaki Encina Oyón (piano) on the 10th; Miah Persson (soprano) and Joseph Middleton (piano) on the 13th; Federico Piccotti (violin) and Marta Puig (piano), and Samuel Hasselhörn (baritone) and Malcolm Martineau (piano), on the 25th at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively; Kate Lindsey (mezzosoprano) and Baptiste Trotignon (piano), on 3 November; Irene Mas Salom (soprano), Joel Bardolet (violin) and Bernardo Rambeaud (guitar) on the 10th; Irene Mas Salom (soprano) and Malcolm Martineau (piano) on the 15th; Louise Alder (soprano) and Joseph Middleton (piano) on the 18th; Clara Barbier Serrano (soprano) and Joanna Kacperek (piano), and Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzosoprano) and Joseph Middleton (piano) on the 21st at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively; and Irene Mas Salom (soprano), Mercedes Gancedo (soprano) and Julius Drake (piano), on 2 February, 2023.
At the halfway mark, two Tasts de Lied with gastronomic pairing at the intimate space of Jorquera Pianos will be held – on 26 October with Sara Carmona (soprano) and Quimey Urquiaga (piano) and on 23 November with Belén García (soprano) and Gonzalo Barrero (piano) — followed by the recital Més que Lied at the Santa Anna church on 14 December and a symphonic concert at the Auditori AXA on 19 November with Kate Royal (soprano) and the Orquestra Simfònica Victoria de los Ángeles conducted by Pedro Pardo.
Prices and types of access vary. You can get individual tickets for each of the concerts at this link or check here to learn more about the different packs.