The Palau de la Música Catalana strengthens its international presence with the first artistic residency of a world-renowned ensemble such as the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orquestra, founded by Thomas Hengelbrock more than 25 years ago. The members of the choir and orchestra, self-proclaimed as Balthasaríes, will perform for the first time together with the Orfeó Català in two concerts next week, on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14, as part of the Palau 100 cycle.
A few days later, the concerts will be repeated in Hamburg, home of the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orquestra, in the Laieszhalle (Saturday, February 17) and the Elbphilharmonie (Sunday, February 18), dates that will represent the international tour of the Barcelona choir this season. "Once you achieve excellence at home, you can risk traveling," says the artistic director of the Orfeó Català choirs, Simon Halsey. "These international collaborations are very important for our education. We learn a lot and they learn something from us. The Orfeó will be better," he adds.
The pieces chosen for the concerts are J. Brahms's A German Requiem and F. Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 2, "Lobgesang", by no means without difficulty for the cantaires of the Orfeó Català. "Two emblematic works," remarks the general director of the Palau de la Música, Joan Oller, "they would already be magnificent even without any collaboration." In addition to Barcelona, the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orquestra will perform in Madrid. Without the Orfeó, they can be seen in the capital on Thursday, February 15, at the Auditorio Nacional de Música.
The relationship with the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orquestra began in 2014 with the first Bach's Mass in B Minor that the German ensemble performed on the modernist stage. "All the musicians fell in love with the Palau, its team and audience, as well as the city; there is a very good atmosphere, also due to the choir's tradition," says Christina Schonk, general director of the orchestra and choir, made up of freelance musicians from more than 20 countries. Since then, they have returned three more times, with a repetition of their debut piece in 2022, even with the pandemic affecting the daily life of concerts: "It showed the trust with the Palau team. That's why we thought we had to do something more. Now, on our tenth anniversary together, celebrating it with the residency is a gift for us."
The alliance will also translate into social activities beyond concerts with the aim of leaving a mark on the city. Since their arrival on Tuesday, members of the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orquestra have participated in activities such as chamber concerts for oncology patients and their families together with the Kalida Foundation, and a workshop with the Children's Choir and the Youth Choir of the Palau Vincles social project. "We have always been convinced that music is not just entertainment, but a transformative and restorative element," says the president of the Palau de la Música, Joaquim Uriach. "It shows a different way of programming a concert, with more involvement," adds Oller.
In addition to this first artistic residency, the Orfeó Català has traveled through many European halls, even going as far as China. A year ago, the choir performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker on a tour that took them to the German capital, but also to the Sagrada Família and the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid. They have also been to Paris, Luxembourg, Vienna, Lisbon, London, and Munich.