Season 25-26

SYMPHONY SEASON PROGRAMMING

The Basque National Orchestra 2025/2026 Symphony Season will begin on 29 September 2025 in Vitoria and will conclude on 9 June 2026 in San Sebastian. It will feature a total of 12 programmes which, divided between Vitoria (10), Bilbao (10), San Sebastian (10x2) and Pamplona (10), will mean a total of 50 concerts during the Symphonic Season alone.

The new image of the Season and all those accompanying it will feature a new narrative language, designed from a digital perspective and giving prominence to an audiovisual format. One of the great challenges today is to stand out in a very complex, fragmented and polarised panorama, where classical music and the Basque National Orchestra need to gain their space. An exercise has been carried out to seek out the extraordinary within the ordinary, to find magic in the everyday. And we have built a graphic universe to we work with everyday, recognisable elements to transform them into surprising, exciting, magical and sometimes unexpected images and micro-stories. This graphical tour will be led by ACC Comunicación.  

Main programme lines

Each season is a musical challenge and a new adventure that must discover how to combine the presentation of new, little known or rarely performed works with the great repertoire and reference works, symphonic and symphonic-choral works, while always seeking to make sense of our current reality.

There will be repertoire works that the Basque National Orchestra will perform for the first time, such as Herminie by Berlioz (to be performed by Miren Urbieta-Vega); Never Give Up by Fazil Say, which he wrote for the cellist Camille Thomas in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris and Istanbul; Franz Schmidt's Symphony No. 4; the rarely performed Symphonic Variations by César Franck in the hands of pianist Marta Zabaleta; Johann Sebastian Bach's Ich habe genug. And Guernica, the last symphony written to date by the composer Félix Ibarrondo, which will be premiered by the Basque National Orchestra in January 2026.

Among the great works of reference that will sit on the music stands of the Basque orchestra will be Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, on the 150^th anniversary of his birth; the last 4 Lieder by Strauss, his most popular work, which will be performed by one of the leading voices of the moment, Rachel Willis-Sørensen; The fourth symphonies of Bruckner and Brahms; Respighi with his two successful works Fontane di Roma and Pini di Roma; Rachmaninoff and his Piano Concerto No. 3, famous for its musical and technical demands of the performer who in this case is Nikolai Lugansky. Another extremely difficult concerto for violin, one considered a masterpiece, was written by Tchaikovsky and will be performed by the young Bomsori. The Basque National Orchestra will also perform Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, a popular work representing the image of destiny which will bring the Season to an end in June 2026. Bartok with the Concerto for Orchestra, Pictures at an Exhibition, Death and Transfiguration by Strauss, Walpurgis Night, the pièce de resistance entrusted to the Orfeón Donostiarra, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Vocalia Taldea, Elena Sancho Pereg and Marifé Nogales, to lend body, energy and enormous vitality to the new season.

The Basque essence

The Basque National Orchestra will continue to delve into its mission to promote and disseminate Basque creation through its programming. It is a country orchestra, which draws on its roots to present itself to the world. And in this season that essence will stand out with examples such as Ravel, Arriaga, Sorozábal, Bernaola and Ibarrondo.

Two Basque composers will be especially remembered in the programming of this new Season: Ravel and Arriaga. On the 150^th anniversary of his birth, we will evoke Ravel with his fundamental work, considered the finest and the culmination of his compositional career, Daphnis et Chloé. It will be performed by the orchestra with Landarbaso Abesbatza. And as a result of this exchange between the Basque and Catalan orchestras, Ravel will be united on both sides of the Pyrenees with La alborada del gracioso by the Basque National Orchestra in Barcelona and Bolero performed in the Basque Country by the Symphonic Orchestra of Barcelona and National Orchestra of Catalunya.

On the 200^th anniversary of the death of Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, the Basque National Orchestra will perform the overture to the work that most set him apart, The happy slaves.

Together with Ravel and Arriaga, the season will also feature works by Pablo Sorozábal, Carmelo Bernaola and Félix Ibarrondo at different times. Pablo Sorozábal's Seven Lieder will be performed by the Navarrese soprano Sofía Esparza, who will accompany the Basque National Orchestra on its visit to Barcelona. Bernaola's Abestiak is a tribute to the composer from Otxandio, who also wanted to pay homage to Juan de Antxieta with this work. And lastly, Félix Ibarrondo, a composer from Oñati with a prolific output, whose last symphony to date, Guernica, will be premiered by the orchestra.

We can add Pascual Aldave to this list of Basque composers, since, apart from the Symphonic Season, the Basque National Orchestra will undertake the first recording of his most important work: Akelarre.

The section of Basque performers deserves special attention this Season. The voice will be all important: not in vain seven of the twelve symphonic programmes will have feature voices and a large number of them will be Basque and female.  Miren Urbieta-Vega (Herminie), Sofía Esparza (Siete Lieder), Elena Sancho Pereg and Marifé Nogales (La nuit and A Midsummer Night's Dream). Marta Zabaleta (Symphonic Variations) on piano is on the line-up of instrumental soloists. And in its determination to highlight the fine choirs of Euskadi, this season will see three ensembles: Landarbaso Abesbatza (Daphnis et Chloé), Orfeón Donostiarra (Walpurgis Night) and Vocalia Taldea (La nuit and A Midsummer Night's Dream).

Artists

The orchestra will once again receive a good handful of artists in its programme, a total of 28 artists distributed among twelve conductors, six instrumental soloists and ten vocal soloists, as well as three choirs and a guest orchestra. With an average age of 45 years, the human capital of this Season combines the freshness of their performances with the experience of their careers and musical virtuosity.  

DIRECTORS

Three female conductors head the list of conductors who will occupy the podium: Katharina Müllner, Joana Carneiro and Ana Mª Patiño. The other nine programmes of the Season will be nourished by repeat conductors such as Riccardo Frizza, Juraj Valcuha and Michal Nesterowicz, and conductors making their debut with the Basque National Orchestra such as Stefan Blunier, Jaime Martín, Antonio Méndez, François López-Ferrer, Alexander Liebreich and Ludovic Morlot, who will come with the OBC of which he is the resident conductor.

SOLOISTS

This will be a star section of the programme with the incorporation of up to 16 vocal and instrumental soloists. Of the 16 artists, 10 will be women, 5 of whom are Basque.  That is why it will be in this section where this very feminine, very choral, very young, very powerful and deeply rooted look will reach its maximum expression. The voices of Miren Urbieta-Vega, Sofía Esparza, Elena Sancho Pereg and Marifé Nogales and Marta Zabaleta on piano represent a good part of these qualities. But in addition, the trajectories of soloists such as Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Bomsori, Camille Thomas, who is coming for the first time, Nikolai Lugansky and Johannes Moser, who are repeating, complete with solidity and brilliance the main characteristics of a Season that appears powerful and energetic.  

CHOIRS

The choral part will also play an important role in the new season. Landarbaso Abesbatza will open the season with a performance of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, the Orfeón Donostiarra will perform Mendelssohn's Walpurgis Night and the female voices of Vocalia Taldea will take up the baton, in another outstanding vocal and female programme, with Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Saint-Saëns' La nuit.

GUEST ORCHESTRA

The Basque National Orchestra recovers its exchange policy that it opened precisely more than two decades ago with the OBC (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Catalonia). The two orchestras will perform simultaneously in November as respective guest orchestras, and the two will join forces on both sides of the Pyrenees through Ravel. Ravel's Boléro will be heard in the version of Ludovic Morlot and his orchestra, which will also offer a very Catalan programme and will include the premiere of Pluja by Miquel Oliu. And the Basque National Orchestra will return to L'Auditori with Ravel's La alborada del gracioso, Sorozábal's 7 Lieder, which will feature Sofía Esparza, and Mahler's Fifth, a work that she took on her tour of Poland and which she defends with mastery. The OBC will give concerts in Bilbao and San Sebastián on November 26th, 27th and 28th.

OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE ORCHESTRA

Salidas: Barcelona Auditorium and the Soriano Music Festival

The Basque National Orchestra returns after more than two decades to L'Auditori, a venue it had the good fortune to visit a few months after its inauguration, in a new example of exchange between orchestras. It will return to Barcelona in November for the OBC Season with three concerts and a programme that will unite the figure of Ravel on both sides of the Pyrenees (28th, 29th and 30th November).

The Soriano Musical Autumn is another frequent event for the Basque National Orchestra. On this occasion it will be presented with the Basque voices of Marifé Nogales and Elena Sancho Pereg, as well as Vocalia Taldea (4 September).

Recordings: Akelarre' by Pascual Aldave

Another important cornerstone of the orchestra's activity is its recordings, with more than 80 volumes, mainly centred on Basque creations.

The year 2024 marked the centenary of the birth of one of the most important symphonists of 20th century Basque music: Pascual Aldave. To mark the occasion, the Basque National Orchestra has made an effort to perform what has been considered his masterpiece, Akelarre, throughout last season. Now it has taken a step further and at the end of August will commence the recording of this great work of which there is no previous record. This first recording will be a historic milestone in itself and will leave an important legacy in the Basque compositional catalogue.   

ARTIS+, art for social inclusion

ARTIS+, art for social inclusion is a cooperation project that takes the Pyrenees as its mainstay and is developed between the south of France, the Basque Country and Catalonia. It seeks to reinforce the role of culture in population groups at risk of exclusion for reasons of disability or social exclusion.  It will run for three years, 2024 - 2026, and the Basque National Orchestra is committed to integrating the objectives of this project through its different cycles: Matinées de Miramon, Musika Gela and the Symphonic Season.

In its first edition, the following have taken shape Abestu Euskadiko Orkestrarekin, Musika tantak, Logelan logale and Musikazaleak. And with them we can say that between participants and the public, this initiative has been shared by almost 9,000 people. These four projects will continue in their second edition and work is already underway to continue to grow in an inclusive society, in this case through the experiences offered by the Basque National Orchestra.

Other projects and cycles

The orchestra will maintain its commitment to the ABAO Bilbao Opera Season, Musika-Música de Bilbao, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards Gala, San Sebastian Musical Fortnight, Zinemaldia and Musikaste.

The orchestra's Matinées de Miramón and Musika Gela cycles will be presented at a later date.

SEASON AND REGULAR TICKETS

Season ticket sales from 1 July onwards

After the renewal period for current season ticket holders, the sale of new season tickets will open. Reservations can be made from 1 July onwards through euskadikoorkestra.eus, by calling 943 01 32 32 or sending an email to abonatuak@euskadikoorkestra.eus.  Subscriptions will be taken in order of receipt and subject to availability. The price of season tickets for 10 concerts in this new season ranges from €85 to €245.

Single tickets will be on sale from 1 September.

All tickets will be on sale from 1 September at euskadikoorkestra.eus and at the auditoriums' websites and ticket offices (except in Vitoria). Single ticket prices range from €10 to €40. The application of discounts for different groups is maintained and is one of the categories that works best: Last Minute Youth, tickets at €10 in all areas, for under 30s and from 30 minutes before the concert.

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsorship makes it possible for those who wish to contribute to the development of this cultural project of the country to do so with their contributions. It is presented as a necessary tool for the future, complementary to the subsidy policies of public administrations, and is destined to become a means of contribution and development of culture and society. Contributions to the orchestra in any of its forms will benefit from a tax deduction. More information at euskadikoorkestra.eus

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Lastly, the orchestra would like to thank the important collaboration and support of all the entities that participate in the development of its different activities: its subscribers and the general public, sponsors and collaborating entities, cultural agents, the media, etc., who make the activity of the Basque National Orchestra possible.

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