“The Dream of Eros” by Oscar Esplá and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
National Orchestra of Spain
Conductor: Pablo González
Oscar Esplá — “The Dream of Eros”
Gustav Mahler — Symphony No. 5
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: From 30 July 2026.
National Orchestra and Choir of Spain
Founded in 1937 by the Government of the Second Spanish Republic as the National Concert Orchestra, the ensemble gave a brief series of concerts in Barcelona in 1938 before resuming activity under its current name — National Orchestra of Spain — in March 1942, following the hiatus caused by the Spanish Civil War. Since then, it has maintained an intense concert life, including its regular concert cycle in Madrid (based at the National Auditorium of Music since 1988), appearances at major Spanish festivals, and tours across Spain, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
With the opening of the 2026/27 season, the National Orchestra and Choir of Spain — united as a single institution since 1971 — enters a new chapter: American conductor Kent Nagano has been appointed Principal and Artistic Director. This appointment reaffirms the OCNE’s commitment to international projection.
Before Nagano, the orchestra’s podium was held by David Afkham (2014–2026), Bartolomé Pérez Casas, Ataúlfo Argenta, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Jesús López Cobos, Aldo Ceccato, and Josep Pons. Among guest conductors, early collaborations included Sergiu Celibidache, Igor Markevitch, Rafael Kubelík, Zubin Mehta, and Riccardo Muti; more recent appearances featured Yuri Temirkanov, Ton Koopman, Gustavo Dudamel, Semyon Bychkov, Leonard Slatkin, Christoph Eschenbach, Pablo Heras-Casado, Giovanni Antonini, Juanjo Mena, Joana Mallwitz, Jörg Widmann, Simone Young, Anja Bihlmaier, Gemma New, Vladimir Ashkenazy, William Christie, and Susana Mälkki.
Since September 2014, the National Orchestra and Choir of Spain has released several recordings on its own label. Earlier releases include *Sonata suite*, winner of the Latin Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album (2010); *El amor brujo*, with Estrella Morente (Deutsche Grammophon); and monographic albums dedicated to Benet Casablancas (Diverdi) and César Camarero (Kairos). More recently, the OCNE label has issued Mahler and Shostakovich symphonies conducted by David Afkham; concertante works by Ginastera and Rodrigo under Juanjo Mena; and historic rediscoveries of Ramón Carnicer and Manuel García.
The National Orchestra and Choir of Spain is a production unit of the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM), Ministry of Culture.
PABLO GONZÁLEZ — Conductor
Recognised as one of the most versatile and passionate conductors of his generation, Pablo González inspires both orchestras and audiences worldwide. Attentive to every silence and every entrance across the full symphonic ensemble, he “weaves and brings order to this tonal revolution” (*OperaWorld*).
He served as Principal Conductor of the Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra and Choir (2019–2023) and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia (2010–2015), Guest Principal Conductor of the Granada City Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Among his recent and upcoming engagements are concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, The Hallé, Helsinki Philharmonic, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Stavanger Symphony, Residentie Orkest, Liège Philharmonic, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, and Buenos Aires Philharmonic. In Spain, he maintains close ties with all major Spanish symphony orchestras and regularly appears with them at international festivals.
As an opera conductor, highlights include *Don Giovanni* and *L’elisir d’amore* in two acclaimed Glyndebourne Tours; *Carmen* at the San Sebastián International Music Festival; *Una voce in off*, *La voix humaine*, *Die Zauberflöte*, *Daphne*, and *Rienzi* at the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona); and *Tosca* and *Madama Butterfly* at Ópera de Oviedo.
His collaborators include soloists Maxim Vengerov, Nikolai Lugansky, Javier Perianes, Khatia Buniatishvili, Beatrice Rana, Renée Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Sol Gabetta, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Isabelle Faust, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Arcadi Volodos, Viktoria Mullova, Johannes Moser, Truls Mørk, and Viviane Hagner.
His discography includes a three-volume monograph of Enrique Granados and a CD featuring Bizet’s *Carmen* and *L’Arlésienne* suites with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia (Naxos). González enjoys an ongoing collaboration with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern (DRP); their upcoming recording features music by Emmanuel Moor, while his Schumann recording with Lena Neudauer won the prestigious International Classical Music Award.
Born in Oviedo, Pablo González studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (London). He currently resides in Oviedo.