Swiss-Canadian Pianist Teo Geheorgieu and German-Swiss cellist Emanuel Grall will perform at Festival Casals on May 24. Photo: Courtesy of TYB Arts.
Puerto Rico’s signature sounds are typically served with an infectious beat. Think reggaeton or salsa—catchy tunes that spill out of cars and onto sidewalks. But come late May, the celebrated Festival Casals offers a distinct change of rhythm. It’s a refined reminder that the island has been equally serious about classical music.
In fact, the landmark festival was founded in 1956 by Pablo Casals, the Catalan cellist, conductor, and composer who settled in Puerto Rico while in exile. Seventy years later, his vision is still going strong. Now under the direction of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Festival Casals affirms the place of classical repertoire in the island’s cultural landscape.
Running May 23 through June 6, the 2026 program certainly makes the case. The must-attend Opening Night pairs conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto and pianist Jorge Federico Osorio with Beethoven’s “Emperor” and Shostakovich’s Fifth—music that doesn’t need much introduction, just a good seat. From there, the festival loosens its tie a bit. A cello-and-piano recital brings in German-Swiss cellist Emanuel Graf and Swiss-Canadian pianist Teo Gheorghiu—a duo of international musicians with the kind of technical polish that rewards close listening. Elsewhere, the lineup moves easily between visiting ensembles, local standouts, and large-scale works, including Roberto Sierra’s Réquiem Isleño, a commissioned piece that promises to close the festival with a distinctly Boricua voice.
With such a blend of local and international performers, Festival Casals doesn’t position itself as a counterpoint to Puerto Rico’s more popular musical traditions. Plus, with truly democratic ticket prices with this edition, it makes a usually rarefied genre incredibly accessible. Bravo!
May 23, 7 p.m
Concierto Inaugural
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto and pianist Jorge Federico Osorio. Program: Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 “Emperor”; Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5, Op. 47; Gabriela Ortiz, Antrópolis
Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Santurce. Tickets from $20 at: ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-las-troyanas.
May 24 – 4 PM
piano & cello recital
Emanuel Graf, cello, and Teo Gheorghiu, piano. Program: Robert Schumann, Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102; Ludwig van Beethoven, Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute; Frédéric Chopin, Introduction and Polonaise brillante, Op. 3 (arr. Leonard Rose); Richard Strauss, Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 6.
Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Santurce. Tickets from $35 at:
ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-recital-de-chelo-y-piano
May 29 & 30 – 8:30 PM
Las Troyanas: La Cantata
Directed and adapted by Vicente Castro, with Jorge Luis Ramos as Hécuba, Ana Isabelle as Casandra, Braulio Castillo as Menelao, Jackeline Duprey as Helena de Troya, Willie Denton as Taltibio, Daniella Paredes as Andrómaca, Natalia González Santaliz, soprano, and Alberto Rodríguez Ortiz, musical director.
Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Santurce. Tickets from $20 at: ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-las-troyanas
May 31 – 4 PM
Boston Symphony Chamber Players
Program includes Samuel Barber, Summer Music; Carlos Simon, Gardner Suite; Antonín Dvořák, String Quintet No. 2.
Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Santurce. Tickets from $15 at: ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-boston-symphony-chamber-players
June 2 – 7 PM
Cuarteto Borikén
Performers: Omar Velázquez, violin; Fermín Segarra, violin; Edgardo Rosaly, viola; Solimar Soto, cello. Program: Raymond Torres Santos, String Quartet; Antonín Dvořák, String Quartet No. 12, Op. 92 “American”; Maurice Ravel, String Quartet, M. 35..
Teatro Bertita y Guillermo Martínez, Sala Jesús María Sanromá, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Tickets from $20 at: ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-cuarteto-boriken
June 6 – 7 PM
Réquiem Isleño de Roberto Sierra
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra led by Maximiano Valdés, with Coral Lírica de Puerto Rico under Jo-Anne Herrero, and soloists Jessica Rivera, soprano, and Ricardo José Rivera, baritone. Program includes Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 104 “London” and the world premiere of Roberto Sierra’s Réquiem isleño, a Festival Casals commission.
Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Santurce. Tickets from $30 at: ticketera.com/events/detail/festival-casals-de-puerto-rico-2026-requiem-isleno-de-roberto-sierra
stay close to all the action
Stay with the Marco Polo Collection in San Juan’s top neighborhoods—Condado, Ocean Park, and Isla Verde—and enjoy stylish accommodations to take advantage of all the island’s top cultural happenings. But even if you stay further out at Bahia Beach, the Northeast Coast or Palmas del Mar, you’re just an hour or less from events in San Juan.