The Gran Teatre del Liceu is preparing for a new chapter after 14 years with Josep Pons as music director. Pons, who took over in 2012, said at his farewell press conference that he had fulfilled his original vision for the orchestra and choir. He focused on bringing the Orquestra and Cor del Liceu into the centre of the theatre's artistic life, moving them from a peripheral role to a driving force in its programming.
Under Pons, the orchestra added 41 musicians, while the choir, led by Pablo Assante, welcomed 30 new voices. The renewal has attracted young talent, and Pons said the Liceu has become a sought-after destination for emerging musicians. He described the orchestra as healthy and deeply committed, with unity and dedication among its hallmarks. His approach, he said, put laying foundations for the future ahead of immediate results, a philosophy he had previously applied at the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España.
The final concert of Pons's tenure, scheduled for July 24, will feature Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, a monumental work he regards as the culmination of his symphonic journey with the composer. The performance will bring together the Orquestra and Cor del Liceu, the Coro Nacional de España, the Polifònica de Puig-reig and the Cor Vivaldi. The vocal cast includes Michael Spyres, Elisabeth Teige, Nicholas Brownlee and Albert Dohmen. The event is expected to be a season highlight and a fitting close to Pons's directorship.
At the farewell event, Liceu board president Salvador Alemany, general director Valentí Oviedo and music director Víctor Garcia de Gomar praised Pons's impact. Alemany spoke of Pons's lasting legacy and the change he brought to the orchestra. Oviedo called him a humanist and a wise companion to the theatre, noting his deep connection to Barcelona and Catalonia. Garcia de Gomar credited Pons with forging a distinctive sound for the Liceu, avoiding grandiosity and building a shared musical experience with the audience and institution. Assante, who leads the choir, said working with Pons had enriched everyone involved.
During his tenure as music director, Pons conducted 84 different titles and nearly 360 performances, drawing close to 550,000 spectators and maintaining an average occupancy rate of 83%. A film by Igor Cortadellas will document Pons's work and influence at the Liceu, offering an intimate look at his preparation for Mahler's Symphony No. 8. A book by Jesús Ruiz Mantilla, to be published by Galaxia Gutenberg, will also chronicle the 14 years and Pons's relationship with Barcelona. Both projects are due for release in autumn 2027.
The transition is part of a broader leadership renewal at the Liceu. Alemany has described changes to the theatre's general management, artistic direction and musical direction as three major institutional shifts, alongside the arrival of younger leaders and the consolidation of a new management team. He said Pons had made clear that he wanted to pursue other activities after his final contract. Alemany added that Pons would return occasionally to conduct opera while taking up work with the German Radio and Television Orchestra.
Pons has continued working with young musicians as he moves on from the Liceu post. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE named him conductor of the Freixenet Symphony Orchestra of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía for the school's 2026 to 2027 academic-year opening concert. Recorded on October 1 at Madrid's Auditorio Nacional de Música, the performance is scheduled to air on October 24. The student orchestra's appearance puts Pons on the podium in a setting closely tied to the development of emerging musicians. RTVE has also cited his artistic relationships with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and BBC Symphony Orchestra.
The change at the Liceu comes as Spain's cultural scene turns renewed attention to leadership changes and their impact on major institutions. It echoes wider discussion in the arts, including debate prompted by the recent on-air incident involving Marta Gómez Montero and Jesús Cintora, which highlighted the pressures attached to public roles in Spain's cultural life. For more on these dynamics, see this report on a recent televised debate: unexpected developments on 'Malas lenguas noche'.
As Pons takes on the role of honorary music director, the Gran Teatre del Liceu prepares for a new phase, drawing on the foundations he established and the artistic momentum built over more than a decade. The theatre's resident ensembles have a long history of large-scale work: a 1985 report on Liceu performances in Madrid described the choir and orchestra under Romano Gandolfi performing music by Verdi and Stravinsky, and referred to a full chorus of nearly 100 voices.
Founded in 1847, the Gran Teatre del Liceu is one of Europe's leading opera houses and basic to Barcelona's cultural identity. Its orchestra and choir are critical to the city's musical life, while leadership changes at this level can signal wider shifts in artistic direction and institutional priorities. Projects documenting Pons's legacy are expected to offer understanding into the Liceu's evolution and its place in Spanish and European culture.
