From Church to Concert Hall

In 1981, a series of five chamber music concerts in Saint Genís’ Church revived the musical tradition of the town, of which there are records starting from the 14th century, and established the basis of a new initiative in favour of classical music – an initiative that has continued in constant evolution to the present day.

Over the years, the increasing number of concerts and the multitude of musical activities that arose from the concert programme — music courses, the inclusion of different musical genres, a young performers’ festival — called for a larger venue than the church.

As from 1986, the Town Square became an open-air auditorium with performances by renowned orchestras, outstanding soloists, popular music from around the world, jazz sessions and films accompanied by live music.

Finally, the increasing needs of the Festival made possible the incorporation of the Espai Ter concert hall into a musical itinerary that had begun on sacred premises, had moved into the public areas of the town – a meeting point for local people and visitors – and finally came to make use of a brand-new building that complied with the requirements demanded by modern performers and audiences.

In this way, Torroella de Montgrí has repeated the route covered by the universal history of music – moving from venues originally reserved for celebrations and rituals to new buildings which aim to conform to the transcendent quality inherent in mankind.

With the exhibition From Church to Concert Hall, the Festival aims to overview its history, in order to continue developing new ideas in a well-established musical environment.

This itinerary will be complemented with an ambitious programme of reflection and participation with musical activities such as lectures, debates and guided tours.

The exceptional social circumstances which affect mankind at the time of this celebration will cause all possible formats to come together to ensure that music will continue to be one of the most important distinguishing features of Torroella de Montgrí, and also, making a virtue of adversity, transcend all kinds of frontiers.