In the Barcelona area, the Orquestra Simfònica Catalana, or OSC, wants to become the resident orchestra of one of the two major theatres planned in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The group says a permanent base would give Catalonia’s second most populous city a regular symphonic programme close to home.
For residents in L’Hospitalet, that would mean more large-scale classical concerts in the city rather than having to travel into Barcelona for much of that offer. OSC founder and director Enric Gavaldà said the project would help decentralise classical music and raise the city’s cultural profile.
Gavaldà also said the orchestra was founded in L’Hospitalet, and that a residency would create opportunities for local talent. The claim was reported by EFE and cited in the source reporting.
L’Hospitalet had 278,070 residents on 1 January 2025, according to Idescat population estimates. That makes it the second most populous municipality in Catalonia, a status also reflected in official population datasets from Idescat and Spain’s national statistics institute, INE.
The residency idea depends on venues that are still in development. L’Hospitalet City Council has published urban planning material and public information for the theatre projects, including a prior public consultation on urban planning and the council’s official information pages.
The council documents do not announce a resident orchestra, they set out the theatre projects and the consultation process. Readers who want to follow what happens next can check the council pages for consultation periods, planning documents and any formal submission routes opened by the city.
For more Barcelona-area coverage, see our Community and Sport pages. BARNA also explains how we handle official documents in our Source Transparency and Editorial Policy pages.
