Opera in Catalonia Foundation

The Fundació Òpera a Catalunya (FOC) — rendered in English as the Opera in Catalonia Foundation — is a non-profit cultural entity headquartered in Sabadell, in the Catalan comarca of the Vallès Occidental, Spain. It was created in January 2020 to take over the management of the Circuit Òpera de Catalunya, the touring opera circuit that brings staged opera productions to a network of Catalan cities. The foundation is constituted by two long-standing musical institutions: the Associació d'Amics de l'Òpera de Sabadell (AAOS), the Sabadell opera friends' association that had historically organised opera in the city, and the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV), the symphony orchestra of the Vallès region. It operates with the support of private sponsors including the Fundació Banc Sabadell and the Fundació Fluidra, as well as public backing from the Ajuntament de Sabadell (Sabadell city council) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (the Catalan regional government). Rather than being a conventional opera house with a single permanent stage, the FOC functions as a producing and touring organisation. Its core activity is the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya, a season of fully staged opera productions that travels to around eleven Catalan cities. Productions are typically premiered at the Teatre La Faràndula in Sabadell and then tour to venues in cities such as Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Granollers, Reus, Viladecans, Barcelona, Girona and Lleida. This circuit model allows audiences outside Barcelona to see professional opera without travelling to the Catalan capital. The foundation's first production was Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, premiered at the Teatre La Faràndula on 24 February 2021; after three performances in Sabadell it toured the circuit. Since then the FOC has built a regular season combining the standard Italian and French repertoire with works of special Catalan interest. Its programming has included Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana paired with Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Verdi's Aida, and Catalan lyric works such as Cançó d'amor i de guerra by Martínez Valls and Luisa Fernanda by Moreno Torroba alongside pieces by Vives. The foundation also stages extraordinary productions outside the subscription season, for example a recital of Baroque arias by composers such as Albinoni, Bononcini, Lotti, Porta and Giacomelli, performed by countertenor Xavier Sabata with the Catalan ensemble Vespres d'Arnadí at the Palau de la Música Catalana. The FOC presents itself as a season-based organisation with subscription (abonaments) and single-ticket sales, and it publishes its forthcoming seasons in advance — for instance the 2026–27 season, presented at the Teatre Principal de Sabadell, featuring L'elisir d'amore, Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, Cançó d'amor i de guerra and Aida. Its casts draw on a broad roster of Catalan and Spanish singers, and its activity is documented through its official website and news section. As a foundation rather than a listed company, it has no ticker and is not traded; its governance and funding rest on the partnership of the AAOS and OSV together with public and private patrons.

The Fundació Òpera a Catalunya (FOC) was created in January 2020 with its seat in Sabadell, Catalonia. Its purpose was to manage the Circuit Òpera de Catalunya, a touring opera circuit extending to eleven Catalan cities. The foundation was formed by two existing musical organisations: the Associació d'Amics de l'Òpera de Sabadell (AAOS) and the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV). It operates with the support of the Fundació Banc Sabadell and the Fundació Fluidra, as well as the Ajuntament de Sabadell and the Generalitat de Catalunya. The foundation's first production was Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, premiered at the Teatre La Faràndula in Sabadell on 24 February 2021. After three performances in Sabadell, the production toured to Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Granollers, Reus, Viladecans, Barcelona, Girona and Lleida. This established the foundation's characteristic model: a premiere in Sabadell followed by a multi-city tour. In subsequent seasons the FOC developed a regular programme under the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya banner, mixing standard repertoire with Catalan lyric works. Its seasons have included Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana paired with Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Verdi's Aida, and Catalan pieces such as Cançó d'amor i de guerra by Martínez Valls and Luisa Fernanda by Moreno Torroba alongside works by Vives. The foundation also stages extraordinary productions outside the subscription season, such as a Baroque aria recital with countertenor Xavier Sabata and the ensemble Vespres d'Arnadí at the Palau de la Música Catalana. The FOC presents its seasons in advance, with subscription and single-ticket sales. Its 2026–27 season, presented at the Teatre Principal de Sabadell, includes L'elisir d'amore, Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, Cançó d'amor i de guerra and Aida. The foundation draws on a broad roster of Catalan and Spanish singers and documents its activity through its official website and news section.

• 2026

  2026–27 season presented at Teatre Principal de Sabadell, including L'elisir d'amore, Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, Cançó d'amor i de guerra and Aida.

• 2021

  First production, Puccini's Tosca, premiered at Teatre La Faràndula on 24 February; after three Sabadell performances it toured Manresa, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Granollers, Reus, Viladecans, Barcelona, Girona and Lleida.

• 2020

  Fundació Òpera a Catalunya created in January with seat in Sabadell to manage the Circuit Òpera de Catalunya.

A non-profit, touring opera foundation bringing professional staged opera to cities across Catalonia, combining core repertoire with Catalan lyric works.

• Tosca

  Giacomo Puccini opera; first production of the foundation, premiered at Teatre La Faràndula on 24 February 2021.

• L'elisir d'amore

  Donizetti opera in the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya season.

• Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci

  Mascagni and Leoncavallo operas presented as a pair in the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya season.

• Aida

  Verdi opera in the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya season.

• Cançó d'amor i de guerra

  Catalan lyric work by Martínez Valls in the Cicle Òpera a Catalunya season.

• Luisa Fernanda & Bohemios

  Works by Moreno Torroba and Vives presented in the season.

• Baroque aria recital

  Extraordinary production with countertenor Xavier Sabata and Vespres d'Arnadí at the Palau de la Música Catalana, featuring arias by Albinoni, Bononcini, Lotti, Porta, Giacomelli and others.

1. 1FUNDACIÓ ÒPERA CATALUNYA - Fundació Òpera Catalunyaoperacatalunya.cat
2. 2Opera in Catalonia Foundationwikidata.org
3. 3Fundació Òpera a Catalunyaca.wikipedia.org