The fourth edition of this initiative by the Cultural Center of Spain in Costa Rica is this year carried out in a strategic alliance with the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the University of Costa Rica, the Cultural Center of Santa Paula University, and Banco DAVIVIENDA Costa Rica.
San José, June 8, 2026. An unprecedented sonic journey connecting European classical heritage with the avant-garde of contemporary jazz, early music, and interdisciplinary proposals is the promise of the IV Spanish Concert Season 2026.
Officially presented in the foyer of the National Theater of Costa Rica on Monday, June 8, this edition is consolidating itself as one of the most significant international cultural milestones of the year in Costa Rica.
The festival will illuminate the intimate connections between Chopin, Falla, and Albéniz through the piano of award-winning Javier Perianes; it will fuse traditional jazz with electronics and hip-hop courtesy of the David Sancho Trio; and it will revive the origins of 18th-century Spanish opera and zarzuela with the prestigious ensemble Harmonia del Parnàs alongside national soprano Gimena Sánchez, countertenor Lidor Mesika, and acclaimed Spanish soprano Ruth Rosique.
The program will break traditional molds with unique experiences such as that of the titular organist of the iconic Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Juan de la Rubia, who will recreate the architectural universe of Antoni Gaudí at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago in collaboration with the National Dance Workshop of the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
Meanwhile, virtuoso bagpiper Carlos Núñez will join several national artists to reveal the most uncharted face of Ludwig van Beethoven through his Celtic-inspired compositions, while the grand closing of the season will unite the power of the Young Philharmonic of Colombia with the visual charm of the puppet company Per Poc in a unique production of Falla’s “El retablo de Maese Pedro” and Saint-Saëns’s “The Carnival of the Animals.”
The IV Spanish Concert Season 2026 is organized by the Cultural Center of Spain in Costa Rica, belonging to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), in a strategic alliance with the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the University of Costa Rica through its international concert series ¡Pura Clásica!, the Cultural Center of Santa Paula University, and Banco DAVIVIENDA Costa Rica.
Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth, stated: “The IV Spanish Concert Season demonstrates how international cooperation enriches our cultural agenda. This year we offer an extraordinary and free program that democratizes access to the highest-level music. By taking over emblematic stages such as the National Theater, the Melico Salazar, and the UCR’s Aula Magna with proposals ranging from baroque to contemporary jazz, we reaffirm our commitment to bringing excellence in art to all citizens.”
Alliances for Public Culture
This season pays tribute to Spain’s most universal composer, Manuel de Falla, marking the 150th anniversary of his birth — a musician deeply connected to the city of Granada, represented by its International Festival of Music and Dance which celebrates its 75th anniversary and which will also host Javier Perianes’s program at the Alhambra, as well as Granada’s candidacy as European Capital of Culture in 2031. Gaudí joins the season’s commemorations in the centenary of his death, with the presence of one of his crowning works — the Sagrada Família — through its organ resonating at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels.
During the official presentation, representatives of the partner institutions — Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth; Juan Ignacio Morro Villacián, Ambassador of Spain; Jáirol Núñez, Vice Rector for Teaching at UCR; and Arturo Giacomin, Executive President of DAVIVIENDA — agreed on the significance of coordinating efforts between the diplomatic sector, government, academia, and private enterprise to guarantee free and democratic access to international performances of the highest artistic excellence.
The Ambassador of Spain in Costa Rica stated: “The IV Spanish Concert Season represents much more than a musical program. It is a celebration to reinforce the cultural dialogue between Spain and Costa Rica through music, heritage, and contemporary artistic creation. In a year of particular significance for Spanish culture, marked by commemorations dedicated to Manuel de Falla and Antoni Gaudí, this season invites us to rediscover art’s capacity to build bridges between our societies, connect generations, and strengthen the historical and human bonds that unite our countries. Spain is honored to share with Costa Rica a program of international artistic excellence that reaffirms our institutions’ commitment to access to culture, cooperation, and cultural exchange as fundamental tools for development and understanding between peoples.”
The Vice Rector for Teaching at UCR and representative of the University of Costa Rica’s Rectory, Jáirol Núñez, highlighted: “The relationship with the Cultural Center and the Embassy of Spain through Development Cooperation is strategic for the humanistic work of the University of Costa Rica, finding in the arts the best tool for positive action in our communities. Through these alliances, the Rectory and the School of General Studies foster spaces for the best human development, as will be the three concerts shared between our international concert program ¡Pura Clásica! and the Spanish Concert Season, both series directed since their creation by UCR professor and international cultural manager Calio Alonso.”
Finally, Arturo Giacomin, Executive President of Banco DAVIVIENDA Costa Rica, stated: “At DAVIVIENDA we are deeply proud that this is already our third consecutive year supporting top-level musical and cultural projects in Costa Rica. Today we take another step by backing the Spanish Music Season, an initiative that celebrates the deep cultural bond between Spain and Costa Rica through music. Over the years, great Spanish composers and performers have left an invaluable mark on the formation, inspiration, and development of generations of Costa Rican musicians and artists, enriching our cultural landscape. Supporting spaces like this means contributing to keeping that legacy alive, promoting access to art, cultural exchange, and experiences that enrich people’s lives and strengthen a more prosperous society.”
This concert series is made possible thanks to the valuable sponsorship of Hospital Clínica Bíblica, YAMAHA Latin America, and Bansbach musical instruments, COPA Airlines, CAPRIS, Villas Hermés and Diosa del Mar, as well as the collaboration of IBEROJET, the Embassy of Colombia in Costa Rica, the Young Philharmonic of Colombia, the Ministry of Culture of Spain–INAEM, AC/E, Generalitat Valenciana, and Harmonia del Parnàs.
All concerts on the program will be free and open to the public until the venues reach capacity.
Program | IV Spanish Concert Season 2026
JUNE: Javier Perianes (Piano) – A Tribute to Manuel de Falla Date and time: Thursday, June 25, 7:00 p.m. Venue: National Theater of Costa Rica, San José. The show: A detailed two-part recital exploring the influence and connections between the art of Manuel de Falla, the romanticism of Frédéric Chopin, and the genius of Isaac Albéniz. This concert is co-produced with UCR’s ¡Pura Clásica! and takes place in collaboration with the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada on its 75th anniversary, within the framework of the 150th anniversary of Falla and Granada’s candidacy as European Capital of Culture in 2031.
JULY: David Sancho (Jazz Trio) – Presentation of the album “Mind in Progress” Date and time: Friday, July 10, 7:00 p.m. Venue: Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, San José. The show: Alongside Jesús Caparrós (electric bass) and Fran Gayo (drums), the renowned Madrid-based pianist presents a proposal that broadens the spectrum of jazz toward contemporary textures. This concert takes place with the support of Bansbach and YAMAHA Latin America.
AUGUST: Harmonia del Parnàs (Baroque Ensemble) – Music, Dance and Love in the Spanish Baroque Date and time: Thursday, August 20, 7:00 p.m. Venue: Aula Magna, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro. The show: An early music ensemble under the direction of Marian Rosa Montagut (harpsichord). A rigorous repertoire performed with historical criteria and instruments that rescues the Hispanic lyrical and scenic heritage of the 18th century. The ensemble will be joined by national soprano Gimena Sánchez, Spanish soprano Ruth Rosique, and countertenor Lidor Mesika. This concert is co-produced with UCR’s ¡Pura Clásica! and takes place with the support of Bansbach, the Ministry of Culture of Spain–INAEM, and AC/E.
SEPTEMBER: Juan de la Rubia (Organ) – The Universe of Gaudí on the Organ of the Sagrada Família Date and time: Saturday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. Venue: Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago. The show: The titular organist of Barcelona’s supreme temple proposes a mystical and immersive experience linking Gaudí’s Gothic and naturalist architecture with the sonic structures of Bach, Alain, and Tournemire. The musical proposal will be accompanied by choreographies from the National Dance Workshop.
OCTOBER: Carlos Núñez (Bagpipe and Recorders) – Celtic Beethoven Date and time: Tuesday, October 27, 7:00 p.m. Venue: Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, San José. The show: Accompanied by national musicians, he revives a selection of the more than two hundred arrangements that Beethoven made of popular Irish, Scottish, and Welsh melodies. This concert takes place with the support of Bansbach and YAMAHA Latin America.
NOVEMBER: Young Philharmonic of Colombia & Per Poc Puppet Company – A Carnival with Don Quixote, Puppets and Animals Dates: Monday, November 16 and Tuesday, November 17, 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., both days. Venue: Aula Magna, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro. The show: A grand interdisciplinary closing featuring music, performance, and large-format puppets staging the emblematic work “El retablo de Maese Pedro” by Manuel de Falla and the classic suite for orchestra and two pianos “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns. Alongside this outstanding continental youth ensemble will be Costa Rican soprano Cristina Mora and other singers to be confirmed, all under the harpsichord musical direction of Spaniard Darío Tamayo. The puppets for the Carnival of the Animals production will be built in Costa Rica together with national artists, inspired by the country’s flora and fauna. This concert is co-produced with UCR’s ¡Pura Clásica! and takes place with the support of Bansbach and YAMAHA Latin America, within the framework of the 150th anniversary of Falla and Granada’s candidacy as European Capital of Culture in 2031.
