Barcelona Symphony Orchestra

The Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra (Catalan: Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, OBC; IPA: [urˈkestɾə simˈfɔnikə ðə βərsəˈɫonə j nəsiuˈnaɫ də kətəˈɫuɲə]) is a symphony orchestra based in Barcelona, Spain. Since April 1999, the Orchestra has had its headquarters at L'Auditori. Prior to that, from its foundation to 1998, the orchestra was resident at the Palau de la Música Catalana.

In addition to the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, founded in 1847 and devoted to opera and ballet, Barcelona has had several symphonic orchestras since 1888. From 1910 to 1924, a private-based Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona gave its concerts in the Teatre Eldorado, led by Joan Lamote de Grignon. After it, the city's principal orchestra was the Orquestra Pau Casals (1920-1936), conducted by Pablo Casals, and linked to the Associació Obrera de Concerts (Workers' Society for Concerts). After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), both the orchestra and society were banned and Casals was exiled to France.

In 1944, a new Barcelona civic orchestra - the current Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona - was founded with the name of Barcelona Municipal Orchestra, created by the City Hall and promoted by the Catalan conductor and composer Eduard Toldrà. Eduard Toldrà, through his leadership, helped to consolidate the orchestra's presence very early in the cultural life of the city. Barcelona has since had a regular cycle of symphonic concerts with the collaboration of the main national and foreign performers and with the aim to make classical music reach the greater public and especially to spread the work of Catalan composers.

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