For 15 years, the Franz Schubert Filharmonia has hosted its own concert series at Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site hosted the premiere of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez—one of Spain’s most beloved works—in 1940, which was performed on the same program as Dvořák’s New World Symphony. Now, the Filarmonia presents these works side-by-side once again during the orchestra’s Carnegie Hall debut, bringing the essence of the Palau de la Música Catalana to New York while also celebrating the 130th anniversary of the premiere of Dvořák’s New World Symphony (a work first performed at Carnegie Hall in 1893). Award-winning classical guitar player Rafael Aguirre joins the Filharmonia for Concierto de Aranjuez.
Since 2009, the Filharmonia has also held the position of resident orchestra of El Vendrell, the birthplace of Pau Casals. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Casals’ death in 2023, and in memory of the Peace Medal awarded to him in 1971 by the United Nations in New York City for his humanitarian work in defense of peace, the Filharmonia adds his Sant Martí del Canigó to the program.
"I decided to be a conductor while growing up watching symphony concerts at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, my hometown,” said Artistic Director Tomàs Grau. “It’s personally exciting to be able to conduct the same program that premiered at the Palau de la Música many years ago, now at Carnegie Hall.”
Born in Barcelona in 1979, Tomàs Grau studied music at the Superior Conservatory of Music in his own city. He continued his conducting studies at the Superior School of Music of Catalonia, where he graduated in Orchestral Conducting, with top ratings. His Orchestral Conducting studies were completed in the Wiener Meisterkurse.
Performance Details:
Franz Schubert Filharmonia
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 8:00pm
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Program:
CASALS Sant Martí del Canigó
RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"
Artists:
Franz Schubert Filharmonia
Tomàs Grau, Conductor
Rafael Aguirre, Guitar
