In brief
- King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia presided over the 34th Princess of Asturias Awards concert this 22 October 2026.
- The musical event was held at the Auditorium of the Prince Felipe Conference Centre in Oviedo, marking the opening of the region’s annual celebrations.
- The Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias and the foundation choir performed Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” by Felix Mendelssohn.
- The performance is part of the royal family’s annual visit before the official presentation of the foundation’s awards.
The Spanish royal family has begun its traditional annual visit to the principality
Each year, the arrival of the Spanish royal family in the heart of North-Western Spain constitutes a major institutional, cultural and media milestone. The Principality of Asturias prepares over several months to host this ritual stay which honours excellence, artistic creation and research through the patronage of the Crown. The festivities traditionally revolve around the presentation of the famous distinctions held by the heir to the throne, with the symphonic concert serving as a truly solemn prelude and a gathering point for the region’s high dignitaries.
A musical and charitable prelude in Oviedo
The Spanish royal family began its traditional annual visit to the Principality of Asturias with a high-level musical event this Thursday, 22 October 2026. As a prelude to the foundation’s awards ceremony held this Friday, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia presided over the 34th Princess of Asturias Awards concert at the Auditorium of the Prince Felipe Conference Centre in Oviedo.
The welcome reserved for the Queen and the Monarch is part of a long tradition reaffirmed year after year by the Asturian capital. The city of Oviedo, with its rich architectural heritage and its central historical position within the kingdom, provides the privileged setting for these institutional meetings. The Conference Centre and its auditorium, an emblematic venue dedicated to large-scale events, hosted for the occasion an audience of guests from across the region and the Spanish capital to celebrate the opening of the royal festivities.
A musical and charitable prelude
Co-organised by the Princess of Asturias Foundation and the CajAstur Foundation, this annual symphonic meeting is a key moment in the Spanish cultural calendar. The event brings together numerous patrons and institutional figures with the aim of raising funds for the foundation’s actions. The President of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, and the Mayor of Oviedo, Alfredo Canteli, were among the official representatives alongside the President of the General Assembly, Juan Manuel Cofiño, and the Government Delegate, Cecilia Pérez.
The combined presence of regional and national authorities testifies to the strategic dimension of this event for the principality. The Princess of Asturias Foundation deploys ambitious cultural, educational and scientific initiatives throughout the year, funded in part thanks to the generosity of donors and institutional partners present during this solemn evening. The CajAstur Foundation has actively supported this dynamic for many years, confirming the strong territorial roots of this exceptional charitable event.
The romantic tribute to Felix Mendelssohn
For this 34th edition, the organisers chose to place the artistic programming at the heart of the 19th-century Germanic romantic repertoire. The music of Felix Mendelssohn offers a subtle balance between classical clarity, polyphonic richness and expressive fervour, perfectly suited to the solemn atmosphere of this evening presided over by the royal family. The selection of a major symphonic work thus allows the power of the orchestra to be combined with the brilliance of the solo voices and the choir.
A masterful interpretation of Symphony No. 2
Under the direction of conductor Nuno Coelho, this 2026 edition was entirely dedicated to the repertoire of the German composer Felix Mendelssohn, a notable figure of 19th-century romanticism. The Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias (OSPA) and the Princess of Asturias Foundation choir performed Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 52, entitled “Lobgesang”. This majestic work was originally composed to commemorate the fourth centenary of the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg.
The Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias, a reference ensemble in the Spanish musical landscape, demonstrated remarkable precision in deploying the instrumental nuances of the score. Under the rigorous baton of Nuno Coelho, the various sections rendered the thematic complexity and triumphant character of “Lobgesang”. The interaction with the foundation’s choir reinforced the spiritual and dramatic impact of the piece in the auditorium’s optimised acoustics.
A large-scale lyrical performance
The score, which blends developed symphonic writing with a choral section that is both solemn and festive, required a first-rate vocal cast. Sopranos Sylvia Schwartz and Pilar Alva-Martín, accompanied by tenor Santiago Ballerini, provided their lyrical contribution to this performance praised by all the authorities and guests present in the Oviedo concert hall.
The interventions of the three soloists made it possible to sublimate the most intimate and poignant passages of Mendelssohn’s symphony-cantata. The complementarity between the lightness of the sopranos’ timbres and the clarity of the tenor offered moments of intense vocal poetry, particularly appreciated by the Monarch, Queen Letizia and their daughters. The balance achieved between the choral power and the finesse of the lyrical trio illustrated the high level of excellence of the foundation’s programming.
Meeting the Asturian people
Beyond the purely musical and protocol dimension that characterises the inaugural concert in the performance hall, the royal family’s visit to the principality remains above all marked by the direct link it maintains with the local population. Each stop in the Asturian capital offers the opportunity for warm proximity, renewing the attachment of the inhabitants to the symbols of the Crown and to the figure of the heir, Princess Leonor.
A warm walkabout with the Asturians
At the end of the musical performance, the royal family extended the evening by going directly to meet the public gathered in front of the building. King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Crown Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia took part in an extensive walkabout, exchanging a few words and posing for photographs with the many residents who had come to greet them before the grand official awards ceremony.
Local residents and enthusiasts from across the region crowded around the Prince Felipe Conference Centre to experience this moment of spontaneous conviviality. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia took the time to talk with citizens, while Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia gave numerous affectionate greetings. This direct exchange brings the first stage of the royal programme in the Principality of Asturias to a festive close, paving the way for the official ceremonies the following day.
Territorial roots and the cultural influence of the Awards
The annual concert presided over by the royal couple constitutes the cultural showcase of a broader institutional framework, centred on the promotion of democratic, scientific and artistic values. By establishing itself every autumn in Oviedo, the Princess of Asturias Foundation reaffirms the pivotal role of the principality in Spain’s international influence. The distinctions awarded during these days of celebration highlight exceptional careers from around the world, making the Asturian territory a crossroads for intellectual exchange and excellence.
For the city of Oviedo and the entire region, the joint presence of the Sovereigns, Crown Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia represents a major vector of visibility. The media coverage surrounding this visit highlights the local heritage, cultural infrastructures such as the Prince Felipe Conference Centre, as well as the vitality of the regional institutions embodied by the political figures present. This successful musical prelude thus launches the official activities planned for the rest of the royal stay under the best possible auspices.
