Spanish National Orchestra makes delayed Proms debut as Afkham era ends

The Spanish National Orchestra made its debut at the Royal Albert Hall, performing to a packed audience almost nine decades after the ensemble was founded. The concert also served as a swansong for chief conductor David Afkham, who will pass leadership to Kent Nagano next season.

For a continent that relies on cultural institutions to project soft power, this debut represents a long-overdue entry into one of Europe’s most prominent classical music festivals. The timing highlights a period of institutional transition for the orchestra, shifting from Afkham's more than decade-long tenure toward a new artistic direction.

Afkham leaned heavily into familiar national repertoire, a strategy that has historically served the ensemble well. The orchestra won a Latin Grammy for best flamenco album under previous conductor Josep Pons in 2010. The programme, however, lacked contemporary Spanish composers, relying instead on established classics.

The orchestra opened with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, delivered at a mid-paced, spacious tempo that softened the piece's inherent virtuosity. They followed with De Falla’s Fantasia baetica, performed in Francisco Coll’s 2022 orchestration which received its first Proms airing two years ago. Again, the approach was relaxed rather than flashy.

A restrained Aranjuez

Guitarist Rafael Aguirre, a winner of 13 international first prizes, joined the orchestra for Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. His interpretation of the famous slow movement was notably wistful and inward-looking, drawing the audience in rather than projecting outward.

Afkham kept the ensemble tightly reined in, resulting in a performance that felt subdued during key moments. The evening closed on a lighter note, with the conductor donning a Spanish football scarf during the encore to acknowledge sporting successes in New Jersey.