The majesty and clarity of Johann Sebastian Bach's work was one of the driving forces behind Lluís Millet's founding of the Orfeó Català in 1891, with the grand dream of one day being able to perform the great choral works of the Cantor of Leipzig.

In the year that the Palau de la Música Catalana was opened in 1908, the Orfeó Català performed the Magnificat for the first time. In 1911 it was the turn of the Mass in B minor, a significant step forward that was the prelude to the great milestone: the premiere – and also the Spanish premiere - of the St Matthew Passion on February 27, 1921. Bach will be, more than ever and from many perspectives, an outstanding star in this concert season at the Palau.

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If Ludwig van Beethoven is considered the transformer of symphonic form, Robert Schumann is the developer of the romantic spirit - as pointed out by the former - at its very pinnacle.

The rise of the romantic heroes, such as Goethe, Schiller and Lord Byron, gave a solid basis for Robert Schumann’s profile, that of a man constantly surrounded by light and shadow, besieged by emotional insecurity and instability, and who, between intermittent visits to mental institutions, wrote majestic works, excellent orchestral pieces, and scores in which chiaroscuros followed one after another, creating an unmistakable stylistic identity. Schumann's four Symphonies allow us to delve into the psychology of a tormented but brilliant and genuine man who found in music his reason for living.

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Twenty-five years ago, the concert series and competition of El Primer Palau was born, with the aim of giving young musicians who were just beginning their difficult and competitive career paths, the opportunity to debut in our Modernist Concert Hall.

Since the series saw the light, many of those who made their debut at the Palau on this platform are now a regular part of the programming of the best international auditoriums and concert halls, including the Palau de la Música Catalana. Exceptionally, during this 2020-21 concert season more than twenty soloists and chamber ensembles who were part of El Primer Palau in its first 25 years, will take part. In addition, ten young musicians will take part in this 25th edition of the series, which is open for the first time to musicians from member countries of the European Union. The Palau de la Música Catalana wishes to celebrate this initiative that has borne so much fruit since its inception and continues to support the musicians of the future.

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