Luis López de Lamadrid has died at the age of 86.

The Festival Castell de Peralada, which was founded by López Lamadrid, confirmed the news in a statement that said, “The Perelada Festival deeply regrets the death of Luis Lopez de Lamadrid, who was founder-director of our Festival. For more than two decades, until 2006, it grew the festival, consolidating it as one of the most important summer cultural offerings, both nationally and internationally. Great lover of opera and culture, his step through Peralada has left a very important mark of which we are proud heirs. Luis you will be missed, thank you for so much. R I P.”

According to Opera Actual, López Lamadrid died on August 23 at the Hospital de Menorca where he was being treated for an intestinal occlusion. However, a bacterial infection complicated his health and was the cause of his death.

Born in 1936 in San Sebastian, López Lamadrid co-founded and directed the Festival Castell de Peralada until 2006. In 2008, he was named president of the Asociación Española de Festivales de Música Clásica.

He also also a founding member of Ópera XXI and during Juan Carlos Matellanes’ leadership, López Lamadrid was the secretary of the association.