Йозеп Понз

Chief Conductor & Artistic Director of the Orquesta Nacional de España

Newly appointed Musical Director at his hometown Opera Liceu in Barcelona, Josep Pons is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Orquesta Nacional de España – with whom an extensive Germany Tour featuring Katia & Marielle Labèque just ended in the Berliner Philharmonie – , Josep Pons was born in Puigreig (Barcelona) and read as music scholar at Escolanía de Montserrat. Josep Pons is also Principal Associated Conductor of Barcelona’s Gran Teatro del Liceo. Previous tenures include chief conducting positions at Orquesta de Cambra Teatre Lliure (1985-97) and Orquesta Ciudad de Granada (1994-2004). He was as well Executive Musical Conductor at the Olympic Ceremonies celebrated in Barcelona in 1992. Josep Pons is day after day in more demand as a guest conductor. He has appeared among others with Goteborgs Symfoniker, Orchestre National de France, Radio France Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Tokio City Philharmonic, Danish National Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Melbourne Symphony. Near future engagements include debuts with Gulbenkian Orchestra, BBC Symphony Ochestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, RAI Torino and Orchestre National de Belgique among others. Since 1995 Josep Pons is also in great demand to conduct opera and scenic productions: II Barbiere de Siviglia, The Light House, La Voix Humaine, The Turn of the Screw, Orfeo, Pepita Jiménez, AtlántidaLa Vida Breve, this century world’s premiere of Alahor in Granata, The Magic Flute, Oedipus Rex, Peter Grimes, Diary of One Who Disappeared, Bluebeard’s Castle, Wozzeck… He has also conducted world premiers of Don Quichotte and La Fatucchiera (Cuyàs) at Barcelona’s Gran Teatro del Liceo. As part of his exclusive contract with Harmonia Mundi, Pons has recorded much Spanish repertoire, most notably the complete Falla works. In recognition to his work, Josep Pons has achieved the highest awards (Diapason d.Or, Choc de la Musique, CD Compact Awards, Télérama, ffff, Grand Prix du Disque de la Academie Charles Cross, etc.). At the 1996 Cannes Classical Awards edition, he received the Publishers’ Award for his recording of Pepita Jiménez. His latest recordings include CD devoted to the Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera and a CD portraying music by Nino Rota that has been awarded a Diapason dOr de lannée 2005 (Symphonic Repertoire). In recognition to his outstanding musical achievements Josep Pons received in 1999 the Music National Award by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.