Josep Pons

Conductor

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“It was clear that Josep Pons had his own, often very creative, ideas”
(Alan Saunders, Classical Source)

Music Director: Gran Teatre del Liceu
Honorary Conductor: Orquesta Nacional de España
Chief Conductor: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie

Regarded as the leading Spanish conductor of his generation, Josep Pons has built strong relationships with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and BBC Symphony Orchestra —the latter including several recordings and appearances at the BBC Proms.

The 2025/26 season sees Pons as the newly appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, strengthening his ties with the orchestra, with which he has been collaborating as a guest conductor since 2006. During this season with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, he will explore the relationship between orchestra and society through varied programs under the idea of “The heart of Europa”.

Following his tenure as Music Director of Gran Teatre del Liceu, Pons will conduct Manon Lescaut, Falstaff and The Cunning Little Vixen. Other recent performances of Pons’ include Eugene Onegin, Carmen, The Messiah, Bluebeard’s Castle and the Sacre with Ballet Sasha Waltz & Guests. In previous seasons, he conducted Don Pasquale, Macbeth and Parsifal, Ariadne auf Naxos, Oedipus Rex, Pelleas et Melisande, Wozzeck, a concert performance of Bluebeard’s Castle at the Opéra Bastille, as well as Don Giovanni, Lessons of Love and Violence, Káťa Kabanova, Rodelinda, Roméo et Juliette, Elektra, and the world premiere of Casablancas’ new opera L’Enigma de Lea.

Pons also holds the position of Honorary Conductor of Orquesta Nacional de España, having previously served as their Artistic Director for nine years during which he substantially raised their international profile. He is also Honorary Conductor of Orquesta Ciudad de Granada. He will also return to several of the orchestras where he has a regular collaboration such as the Spanish National and Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse.

Josep Pons’ discography of over 50 CDs and DVDs, mostly released by Harmonia Mundi and Deutsche Grammophon, includes recordings of Falla, and French repertoire regarded as benchmark interpretations and earning numerous awards. His recording of Noches en los jardines de España with Javier Perianes,won a Choc de la Musique, Melancolía with Patricia Petibon received a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, and his collaboration with Tomatito earned him a Latin GRAMMY. His recording of Berio’s Sinfonia and Mahler/Berio’s 10 Frühe Lieder with BBC Symphony Orchestra and Matthias Goerne, won the BBC Music Award, Choc de la musique, ECHO Klassik Awards and Télérama Ffff awards. His latest release on Harmonia Mundi is the live recording of Granados’ opera, Goyescas with BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Josep Pons began his musical training at the prestigious Escolanía de Montserrat. The secular tradition and intense study of both Polyphony and contemporary music in this center marked his later development both musically and intellectually. In 1999, he received the Spanish National Music Prize for his outstanding work on twentieth-century music. In 2019, Pons was awarded Honorary Doctorate from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, but he also received the gold medal for merit in Fine Arts, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

HarrisonParrott represents Josep Pons for general management.