He Royal Palace of Madrid is preparing to host one of the most unique musical quotes of the course: For the first time, the 1700 Stradivarius viola and cello that are part of the Royal Collection will play alongside the Bosch organ in the Royal Chapel. will be next December 12in a concert that coincides with the 75th anniversary of the recovery of the Stradivarius viola and which promises to become one of the most anticipated cultural moments of the year in the capital.
A 200-year itinerary between two anniversaries
The programming of this edition, as National Heritage has detailed, it is not just any route: connects two fundamental milestones of the Spanish sound heritage separated by exactly two centuries. On the one hand, the IV Centenary from the publication of the Organic Faculty of Francisco Correa de Arauxo, a 1626 treatise on keyboard music from the Spanish Golden Age. On the other hand, the Bicentennial of the death of José Lidóncomposer and organist of the Royal Chapel, who died in 1827. Between both dates the common thread of the entire season unfolds, which this year also incorporates a novelty: for the first time, the programming adapts to the school year calendar.
Programming of the ‘Chamber Cycle’ 2026/27
The concert of December 12 will bring together three pieces with centuries of history behind them. The violist will perform it Lola Fernandezthe cellist Roberto Alonso and the organist Jorge Garciawith a program focused on sonatas by composers linked to the Royal Chapelamong them Felipe de los Ríos and José Lidón himself, whose figure takes on special prominence this year for his bicentennial. The repertoire will allow you to hear, in the same space, the timbre of two of the most coveted violins in history of the lutherie together with the sound of a centuries-old organ that rarely shares the spotlight with string instruments.
This concert is part of the ‘Chamber Cycle’the oldest of the National Heritage programming, which this year celebrates its 43rd edition. The cycle, starring the institution’s Stradivarius, will start on October 22 with the Schubert Quintet in the Hall of Columns, and will continue with performances of the Gara Quartet (December 3), the Gropius Quartet (February 25) and Bennewitz Quartet (June 4, 2027).
- October 22, 2026: Schubert Quintet
- December 3, 2026: Gara Quartet
- December 12, 2026: Stradivarius and Bosch organ, together for the first time (extraordinary concert)
- February 25, 2027: Gropius Quartet
- June 4, 2027: Bennewitz Quartet
A tribute also to Felipe II
The Musical Season It is not exhausted in the Chamber Cycle. Among the most notable proposals is a series of concerts dedicated to V centenary of the birth of Philip IIwhich will be held at Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial between May and June 2027, and the 20th edition of the ‘Organ Cycle’with four appointments distributed between El Escorial and the Bosch organ of the Royal Palace (precisely the instrument associated with Correa de Arauxo’s anniversary).
Added to this is the ‘Music Cycle in the Royal Chapels’which between September and March 2027 will take music to historical spaces such as the church of the Monastery of Santa Isabel, the Basilica of Atocha or the Basilica of the Monastery of El Escorial. The season will be completed with the 41st edition of the ‘Christmas Music Series’which will offer four more concerts during the Christmas season.
Tickets now available
The tickets For most of these cycles they can already be reserved through the National Heritage websitewhile passes for the rest of the season’s concerts will go on sale soon. With this proposal, National Heritage reinforces its commitment to bring musical heritage closer and Spanish instrumental to a wide audience, combining historical pieces of incalculable value with spaces that are part of the cultural memory of the country.