Celebrating her centenary

"I have insisted all my life on being the daughter of the University janitor; they told me it wasn't possible, but I have insisted on being the Victoria de los Ángeles from when I was little, and I think it works."

2023 marked the centenary of the birth of the soprano Victoria de los Ángeles (1923-2005). Born in Barcelona, specifically at the University of Barcelona where her father was the janitor, the soprano is considered one of the great operatic figures of the 20th century. She served as an ambassador for Catalan and Spanish culture through the recitals she gave worldwide, always including and recovering national musical heritage in her programs.

The Foundation worked to ensure that the commemoration of the Victoria de los Ángeles centenary in 2023-24 had the national and international presence it deserves. It aimed to reclaim the figure of Victoria de los Ángeles as an artist, but also as a woman and a pioneer, making her accessible to all citizens through this anniversary as one of the key figures to emerge from the country during the 20th century.

The Year was presided over by Helena Mora, president of the Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation, and was curated by Marc Busquets, its artistic director.

It was declared ‘Any Victòria dels Àngels’ by the Generalitat de Catalunya and an ‘Event of Special Public Interest’ by the Government of Spain.

"I will always sing; I don't see an end."

The Gran Teatre del Liceu hosted a major central gala for this anniversary, bringing together ten of the best sopranos and mezzo-sopranos of the moment; the Palau de la Música Catalana celebrated Victoria de los Ángeles’ legacy in Catalan heritage by hosting a concert of Catalan song that was also performed in Vic, Vila-seca, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Manresa; the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid dedicated a gala of zarzuela and Catalan and Spanish song featuring fifteen national artists dearly loved by the Foundation; the Teatro Real in Madrid dedicated Madama Butterfly and an exhibition on her figure to her; and other theaters such as the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires or the Metropolitan Opera House in New York dedicated operas to her. Ten exhibitions were organized worldwide, including Aquella eterna admiración at the Palau Robert in Barcelona, in dialogue with the centenary of her good friend Alicia de Larrocha, who was also born in 1923; Cosiendo el canto, which explored her taste for fashion and sewing at the Palau Güell; as well as a digital exhibition of all her programs, which can be consulted on the Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya website.

New York also dedicated two exhibitions to her: one of her dresses at the Met and another at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. Additionally, a recital was dedicated to her at Carnegie Hall, and the Victoria de los Ángeles Legacy line was launched at the Juilliard School, focusing on the dissemination and teaching of the Spanish and Catalan musical repertoire.

Operas and recitals were dedicated to her all over the world, from the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo to Wigmore Hall in London, and Pep Gorgori wrote a new biography, Todo parecía tan sencillo (FICTA, 2023), the first to consult her personal archives.

The Year was officially inaugurated on November 1, 2023, exactly a century after her birth, with a concert in the Paraninfo of the University of Barcelona, her home, and was solemnly closed on November 6, 2024, in the Saló Sant Jordi of the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, with a performance of Fauré’s Requiem attended by the Most Honorable President of the Generalitat.

Centenary Objectives

The consolidation of the figure of Victoria de los Ángeles within the country's culture as an ambassador for Catalan and Spanish culture.
The remembrance of her life and career in the cities and theaters important to her, both nationally and internationally.
The recognition of the different facets of Victoria de los Ángeles as an artist, pioneering woman, and mother.
The continuation of training and support for young talent through her figure, which is one of the pillars of the Foundation that bears her name.

Centenary image

Designed by Jordi Labanda

Applications for download

The image for the Victoria de los Ángeles Centenary is a creation by the illustrator Jordi Labanda. It captures Victoria de los Ángeles’ most characteristic features: her gaze, her signature “à la garçon” haircut, and her inseparable pearls.

A reflection of her life, as Victoria was the daughter of an Andalusian father and a Castilian mother—witnesses to the first immigration of the early 20th century—who taught her from a young age to love the land and culture that welcomed them: Catalonia. Therefore, any controversy regarding the name is unjustified, and the choice was made to use the name by which everyone knows her: Victoria.