The Valencian Community Orchestra, conducted by the acclaimed American maestro James Gaffigan, will open its new season at Palau Altea on September 1 at 20:00, presenting a program centered on composers connected to Alicante. The concert will feature works by Oscar Espla, Mozart, and Schumann, highlighting a blend of local heritage and classical mastery.
Established in 2006 with Lorin Maazel as its first music director, the orchestra has grown into a prominent cultural cornerstone of the Valencian community. It regularly participates in the operatic productions staged at Les Arts each season and leads an ambitious concert cycle that this year begins with a recital in Altea. The program will include Oscar Espla’s Spanish lyric pieces, complemented by Pedro Salinas, and will move through Mozart’s Symphony No. 34 in C major, K338, culminating with Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97, the “Rhenish.”
Special pricing is available for music groups—50% off for members and students of SFA, SRM, EsMuAltea, and Conservatory members from Altea, Benidorm, Elda, Oliva, Xàbia, and nearby municipalities. A support card must be shown to apply the discount, with a maximum of three tickets per member.
Tickets are currently on sale through the Palau Altea website.
Manager
James Gaffigan, a New Yorker by origin, is recognized for his musicality and natural conducting style. He is widely regarded as one of the leading American conductors on the global stage. Gaffigan serves as music director of Les Arts and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, and for the 2023-2024 season also holds the role of music director at the Berlin Komische Oper. He is a frequent guest conductor with the Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera, and he directs the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra. His previous tenure as chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony helped elevate the orchestra’s profile through tours and recordings, earning widespread acclaim.