Festival Lux Bella

The “Lux Bella Festival” originates from the revaluation of a heritage space, the Church of Jesuits in Valencia, formerly the chapel of San José school, now in its final restoration phase. This neo-Byzantine style church, with beautiful stained glass windows adorning its naves and choir, was built in the late 19th century by Joaquín Mª Belda. Beyond its stunning and colorful decoration, the acoustics hidden within its slender architecture make this space a magical place for musical performances.

Within this centenary chapel lies a unique example of the work of the last great Valencian organ builder, Pedro Palop. Built in 1921, the organ’s distinctly romantic aesthetic and poetic sound earned it praise from the press of its time. It is one of the few historic instruments preserved in the city of Valencia, and thanks to the festival, it has regained the voice it had lost over the past decades. Its restoration was carried out by organ builder Frédéric Desmottes, with inaugural concerts scheduled for autumn 2024.

However, the most distinctive feature of this festival is its musical programming around the days and festivities of Holy Week. In this sense, Lux Bella seeks to revive the repertoire composed expressly for the celebrations of the so-called Paschal Triduum, drawing from the Valencian and Spanish schools as well as from other countries. This is approached from the perspective of “Historically Informed Performance,” covering periods from medieval times to the Romantic era.

The festival "Lux Bella" (Beautiful Light) is named after the first treatise on music written in Spanish in 1492 under the same title. Aimed at uncovering the secrets of Plainchant, this treatise emphasizes a musical genre that resonates well in the acoustics of the Church of Jesuits in Valencia, the vocal repertoire. Additionally, the church’s unique coloration, reflected in its walls and stained glass, gives the name of this famous treatise a double meaning, uniting music and architecture into a single artistic experience.