Cathedral of Santiago hosts BachCompostela on 12 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 18:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSOrgan and building context
- On 12 November 2026, BachCompostela presents its second concert at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
- The Mascioni organ reaches its 50th anniversary during the 2026-2028 BachCompostela cycle.
- The present Romanesque cathedral was consecrated in 1211 after construction began in 1075.
BachCompostela will bring organ music to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Catedral de Santiago de Compostela) in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on 12 November 2026. The concert forms part of a new cycle devoted to the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
BachCompostela brings Bach to the cathedral on 12 November
The second concert in the BachCompostela cycle is scheduled for Thursday 12 November 2026 at 9pm. It will take place inside the Cathedral, with entry through the Platerías Gate, as stated by the cathedral visitor service in its concert programme.
The programme is titled Borrowed and Transformed - The Art of Inscription. It includes works by Bach such as the Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 539, the Concerto in D minor, BWV 596, and selections from the Six Schübler Chorales. The listed performer is Juan de la Rubia, titular organist of the Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
The cycle is planned to run from 2026 to 2028 and will use the cathedral's Mascioni organ. The organisers describe it as 21 concerts presenting Bach's complete organ works, with programmes linked to the liturgical calendar and the aesthetic settings that shaped the music. A separate Galician cultural listing also places the 12 November concert at Praza do Obradoiro and identifies de la Rubia as its performer.
The Mascioni organ connects the concert with the building
The concert is tied to a specific object inside the building: the Mascioni organ reaches its 50th anniversary during the cycle. The instrument is therefore not simply a venue detail, but the central instrument through which the project is presented.
The cathedral's present Romanesque structure began in 1075 under Bishop Diego Peláez. Master Mateo was commissioned in 1168 to complete the western closure and choir, and the basilica was consecrated in 1211. The building later gained Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical additions, while its medieval structure remained the foundation for today's complex, according to the cathedral history.
That layered history gives the November programme a precise setting. Bach's organ repertoire will be heard in a building whose musical spaces include the transept, chapels and choir, while the southern Platerías facade provides the announced entrance for the concert. The wider old town, including the cathedral and the Pórtico of Glory, forms part of the Santiago World Heritage site.
What BachCompostela means for a November visit
The November performance places a fixed cultural event within the normal pilgrimage setting of Santiago de Compostela. Visitors who are already in the old town can connect the concert with the building's Romanesque fabric, its later additions and its continuing religious use, rather than treating it as a performance detached from the cathedral.
The published programme names the Platerías Gate as the entrance and identifies the venue as the Cathedral. It does not state a general admission policy in the material consulted here, so no ticket or price information is included. The concert's date and venue are confirmed on the cathedral visitor service page and in the regional cultural agenda.
Visiting Cathedral of Santiago of Compostela: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The BachCompostela concert takes place on 12 November 2026 inside the Cathedral, with entry through the Platerías Gate.
- The event is the second concert in a 21-concert cycle, and its programme includes Bach's BWV 539 and BWV 596.
- The Cathedral stands at Praza do Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela, in the historic centre of north-west Spain.
- The building contains Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical elements, with the Pórtico of Glory forming part of its western history.
- Spain's official language is Spanish and its national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Cathedral of Santiago of Compostela
When does BachCompostela take place at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela?
The second concert is scheduled for 12 November 2026 at 9pm, with entry through the Platerías Gate.
What is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela?
It is a Romanesque basilica whose construction began in 1075 and whose consecration took place in 1211.
Where is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and how do you get there?
It is at Praza do Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, within the city's UNESCO World Heritage old town.
