Overlooking the Mediterranean on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Valencia is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of paella. Along with famed-architect Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences, and the addition of the new high-speed AVE train line that whisks visitors from Madrid in just 90 minutes, Valencia is now becoming known for its vibrant music scene.
Valencia boasts two world class music venues, the Palau de la Música and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. The Palau de la Música was opened in 1987 alongside the Turia Gardens. With its huge glass dome, it is considered one of the buildings that led the city’s vanguard architecture movement. It hosts concerts, operas and ballets, and is home to the Valencia Orchestra. The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia was opened in 2005 as part of the City of Arts and Sciences. It is an opera house and cultural center that hosts many world-renowned performers and events.
In 2011, Boston-based Berklee College of Music established its first international campus, and now students from this highly regarded school for contemporary music can experience a wide variety of international music. Their presence is also influencing the local music scene, bringing a vibrancy that can often be found in a university town. In addition to the main concert halls, there are many bars and nightclubs that feature local and international musicians, playing everything from classical music, jazz, flamenco, and hip-hop, to every style in between. Two popular clubs where you can enjoy live music are Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar (Baja, 28) which features jazz music and jam sessions, and the Black Note Club (Polo y Peyrolón, 15), which features jazz, blues, flamenco, rock, soul, and funk.
For more information on the Palau de la Música and its events, click here. For more information on the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, click here.
Photo credit: Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar
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