Behind the term “MBA” (Master in Business Administration) applied to the Master in Good Listening lies a metaphor (not without humour) that implies the intelligent management of sensitivity and how it negotiates with music—its language, its history, its creators and performers—within the framework of the Palau’s musical activity. Classical music possesses complex levels of beauty that require more than simply sitting down to listen. We will transcend the simple judgment “I like it – I don’t like it” and train our listening by learning the essential tools for approaching music: from the foundations of its language, its instruments, its artists, and its history. Carlos Calderón, PhD in Humanities, musician and historian, will guide us—together with guest lecturers—through this fascinating path of knowledge.

 

Level 1 (online only)

The MBA · Master in Good Listening course provides tools to identify the elements of music such as its language; it invites participants to explore the historical contexts and historiographical debates surrounding the creation of a work, its author, and its time, and finally encourages the development of a systematic reflection on what recreation or interpretation means, both throughout history and in contemporary contexts. A journey that will take us from the origins of sound to the summit marked by Beethoven’s Ninth.

Registration and personal access key to the course materials available on the Aula Palau virtual campus.

Price: 250 euros

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Level 2 (in person at the Orfeó Català Rehearsal Room)

Course intended for students of Level 1 of the MBA 2024-25

Once the first level of the MBA has been completed, aspects such as the various definitions of music, the concept of sound, the materiality of instruments, and the historical keys that led us to the essential link represented by Beethoven’s Ninth will have been consolidated. This piece is the culmination of everything previously covered and will serve as the foundation for what is still to come. We will return to the fundamental equation based not only on dissemination, but also on awareness and education, in order to achieve a deep and responsible listening ability. We will once again delve into the question why do I like what I like. This time, with content that explores the orchestra as a total instrument, the figure of the conductor, the musical genres (sonata, concerto, symphony, opera...) and a final historical journey that reaches the present day. An aesthetic, philosophical, and sociological path that will also help us understand musical spaces (concert halls, festivals...) and, specifically, the Palau. The classroom will thus be the alpha and omega of this adventure.

Course registration includes the possibility of attending selected and exclusive activities for the Aula Palau community. These activities will enrich the learning experience and will be announced throughout the course.

Fifteen sessions on fifteen Saturdays: October 4 and 25, 2025; November 8; December 13; January 10, 2026; February 7, 14, and 28; March 7 and 28; April 25; May 2, 16, and 30; and June 13.

Schedule. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a break.

Price: 450 euros

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Special format Level 1 + Level 2

You can complete Level 1 (online) and Level 2 (in person) within the same course by enrolling in this limited-place package. You will have access on the virtual campus to all of Level 1, with recorded sessions, and will be able to follow the in-person schedule of Level 2.

Price for Level 1 + Level 2 package: 600 € (saving one hundred euros compared to enrolling separately).

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