Not every season brings a true cultural milestone to Alicante, yet Caminos de la música—an initiative curated by Marta Moll de Alba—proved that such moments are possible. The Alicante Provincial Assembly Auditorium has quickly earned a place among the national catalog of premier concert halls. Here, world-renowned orchestras find a welcoming stage, and a distinguished ensemble has emerged, earning praise from critics and audiences alike for its precision, warmth, and imaginative programming.
At the helm of the program is Josep Vicent, the artistic director of ADDA, who recently discussed the venue with Marta Moll, highlighting architectural and acoustic features crafted by the building’s designer, Javier García Solera. Among the standout qualities, the main hall’s acoustics deserve special mention. Vicent points to two signature details: a driftwood ceiling that evokes the strings of a cello and a back wall behind the stage that resembles a colossal trumpet, contributing to a distinctive sound profile and visual identity that reinforce the space’s musical mission.
For listeners, the appeal lies in ADDA’s ability to blend the core symphonic repertoire with a broader sonic tapestry. The program layers grand concert works with intimate chamber pieces, includes a guitar-focused series, and features summer events like Fijazz, weekday matinees with regional ensembles, and performances by widely recognized soloists. The result is a dynamic, inclusive schedule that invites audiences to encounter music in varied contexts, all within a single cultural ecosystem.
In the realm of cultural dialogue, there has been some hesitation from the Contemporary Observatory toward the Diputación Auditorium and its flagship festival, the Festival of Contemporary Music. These tensions reflect a longer history of debate about identity, interpretation, and venue roles in the national music scene. Yet history also shows that biases can shift, especially when institutions demonstrate resilience, openness, and a commitment to evolving with audiences. The possibility remains that challenges to established perceptions can be transformed into avenues for wider recognition and appreciation.
The Caminos de la música series, directed by Pilar Pérez Solano, has hosted performances by ensembles such as Cassadó Duo, featuring cellist Damián Martínez and Marta Moll, who together bring a rich blend of classical sensibility and contemporary curiosity to the stage. The collaboration underscores how artists from different generations and disciplines can converge to illuminate shared musical narratives, energizing listeners and inviting fresh conversations about repertoire, technique, and interpretation.