Manuel Romero-Fiol Music Collection

Manuel Romero-Fiol, an economist with a deep passion for music, began collecting music books as a way to broaden his knowledge of the subject. Over time, he expanded his library by acquiring the latest research, especially during his travels abroad, eventually building an almost comprehensive collection in certain areas.

The collection primarily consists of monographs and key reference works on 19th and 20th-century classical music, with a particular focus on opera, ballet, and American musical theatre. It is especially notable for its extensive bibliographies on major figures such as Giacomo Puccini, Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, Ígor Stravinsky, and George Gershwin, alongside a significant collection on American musical theatre and the Ballets Russes.

The collection was brought to wider attention by Mercedes Conde, then director of the Revista Musical Catalana, who recognised the library's importance for students and researchers. The donation was coordinated by Professor Francesc Cortès from the Department of Art and Musicology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Collection date range: 1939-2016

Collection incorporation date: 2015

Depositary library: Humanities Library