Our Mission
Our Mission
The Barcelona Festival of Song® (BFOS) is dedicated to preserving, studying, performing, and advancing Latin American and Iberian art song. At the heart of the festival is an intensive summer program centered on classical singers and the interpretation of vocal repertoire in Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese.
BFOS welcomes singers at every stage of their artistic journey: university students, emerging professionals, established performers, independent artists, voice teachers, and university professors. There is no age limit. What matters is each participant’s commitment to learning, artistic exploration, and engagement with the repertoire.
A Unique Path for Every Singer
No two voices develop in the same way. For this reason, every singer follows an individualized path designed around their voice type, current level of development, experience, artistic interests, and professional goals.
Each singer receives a carefully curated repertoire program selected specifically for their voice. Rather than imposing a standardized list of works, BFOS helps participants discover music that supports their vocal development, expands their expressive possibilities, and allows them to build a meaningful connection with the languages, poetry, and cultural contexts of the repertoire.
The program takes place within a supportive, noncompetitive environment grounded in curiosity, mutual respect, and shared learning. Participants learn not only from the faculty but also from observing and listening to one another. Students, professionals, and teachers at different points in their careers contribute distinct experiences and perspectives, creating a community in which everyone has something to offer and something new to discover.
Specialized Study with Leaders in the Field
BFOS brings participants into direct contact with internationally recognized specialists in Latin American and Iberian art song. Its faculty includes performers, scholars, pedagogues, editors, and cultural leaders whose work has contributed to the research, interpretation, publication, and international dissemination of this repertoire.
The curriculum combines academic study with artistic practice and includes:
Latin American and Iberian vocal literature and history
Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese diction
Poetry, cultural context, and textual interpretation
Historically and culturally informed performance practice
Masterclasses and individual coaching
Public performance opportunities
Composition instruction and feedback for participants in the Art Song Composition Program
Singers and collaborative pianists perform in two public concerts at historic venues in the heart of Barcelona. These performances allow participants to bring their learning to the stage and share the repertoire with local and international audiences.
Singers, Pianists, Teachers, and Scholars
Collaborative pianists are an essential part of BFOS. They work closely with singers and faculty while deepening their understanding of the languages, musical traditions, and interpretive practices of the repertoire.
Musicologists are also welcome to participate in the festival’s lectures, classes, concerts, and intellectual community. BFOS offers a space for researchers interested in Latin American and Iberian music, vocal studies, performance practice, cultural history, and related fields.
Voice teachers and university professors are especially welcome. The program equips them with repertoire, diction resources, historical knowledge, and interpretive tools that they can bring back to their studios and institutions, extending the festival’s impact to future generations of singers.
The Art Song Composition Program
Beginning in 2027, BFOS will offer a specialized Art Song Composition Program. Since its founding, the festival has commissioned new works and collaborated with composers and poets to expand the vocal repertoire. The new program grows directly from that history.
Participating composers will explore the relationship between poetry, language, voice, and music while developing new art songs within the festival community. They will take part in shared lectures and cultural activities while receiving composition-specific instruction, feedback, and opportunities for artistic exchange with singers and collaborative pianists.
Through this program, BFOS not only preserves an existing repertoire but also helps create the repertoire of the future.
Expanding the Classical Vocal Canon
BFOS contributes to the decolonization of classical singing curricula, which have traditionally centered on Central European repertoire. By making Latin American and Iberian art songs more accessible to singers, pianists, teachers, researchers, and composers, the festival expands the classical vocal canon and supports the continued study, performance, and creation of this music.
Each year, BFOS accepts a select number of participants to preserve the personalized nature of the program. Academic rigor, artistic excellence, individual attention, and a supportive community come together to create an experience in which participants can take risks, ask questions, develop their voices, and grow alongside one another.
Join us in Barcelona and become part of an international community committed to preserving, renewing, and expanding Latin American and Iberian art song.