The Building
The Palau de la Música de València was inaugurated on April 25, 1987, establishing itself as the musical and cultural engine of the city. Designed by the architect José María García de Paredes, it has a large symphony hall for 1,781 spectators and a chamber hall, with 417 seats. The acoustics of the Palau are described as exceptional, a benchmark in Europe and unanimously praised by all the orchestras, soloists and lyrical voices that have performed in it.
It is the headquarters of the Valencia Orchestra, the main symphonic group in the city, which is celebrating its eightieth anniversary, and which constitutes one of the main axes of the auditorium’s musical activity.
Other halls – Lucrecia Bori, Martín y Soler and Exposiciones, as well as the magnificent glass-enclosed lobby of Hall Naranjos, make the auditorium a cultural center of enormous vitality and dynamism, full of activity eleven months a year.
In 2002, the auditorium was extended with an underground annex, integrated into the landscape of the Turia riverbed by the architect Eduardo de Miguel. In these new facilities there are various rehearsal rooms: a replica of the Sala Iturbi stage -Sala García Navarro-, two choir rooms and four individual ones, as well as four collective dressing rooms, as well as intense administrative activity, in addition to housing a large archive and music documentation center.
The spaces of the Palau
The main building of the Palau has two concert halls, one for symphonic music and another for chamber music; two conference rooms, an exhibition hall, dressing rooms, pressrooms, V.I.P. room, box office, cloakrooms and a shop. The main concert hall, where the symphonic cycles take place, was named after José Iturbi in May 1995 and has 1781 seats. It is the most emblematic hall and the image – together with the façade – of the Palau. It also has a 190m2 stage and a pit that during concerts is covered by the first two rows of seats but, on special occasions, has been uncovered for staged opera productions. Stalls and side and back balconies, situated in three levels, surround the musicians as well as allowing different perspectives over the stage. The Joaquín Rodrigo Hall has a capacity for 417 spectators. The seats are all on one level and staggered in a fan shape. It is especially suitable for soloists and chamber music and has offered International Soloists Series, Lied, Ancient and Baroque Music and Opera among other events.
Martín y Soler Hall was named in June 2001 after one of the most famous Valencian composers, Vicente Martín y Soler. Lucrecia Bori pays tribute to one of Valencia´s mythical voices. Another international Valencian soprano, Isabel Rey, unveiled the commemorative plaque, on the 30th of October 2001. These halls, with a capacity for a ninety-six people each, are the ideal setting for lectures, poetry readings, literary cycles, meetings, congresses and small-format exhibitions. The Exhibition Hall is located on the same floor as the Joaquín Rodrigo Hall and the conference rooms. With 250m2, this multipurpose space welcomes art shows as well as exhibitions of musical content.
