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The Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu (''Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu'') is the opera orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Founded concurrently with the theatre in 1847 (actually, it continues the orchestra of the Liceu previous theatre, founded in 1837 and active since 1838), it is the oldest orchestra still working in Barcelona, and the oldest in Spain. The orchestra also performs symphony concerts at such venues as the
Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, ) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan ''modernisme, modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for Orfeó Català, a ...
and at
L'Auditori L'Auditori () is a modern building of 42,000 square metres designed by the architect Rafael Moneo, opened on 22 March 1999, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is in the centre of the new pole of urban development of Plaça de les Glòries, wh ...
. The first conductor of the orchestra was
Marià Obiols Marià Obiols (26 November 1809 – 10 December 1888), also known as Mariano Obiols, was a Catalan composer, conductor, and professor of music. He served as the music director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona from its founding in 1847 ...
. The orchestra subsequently worked with guest conductors, including the composers
Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
,
Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov ( – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 and 1928 and was instrumental i ...
,
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
,
Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...
,
Ottorino Respighi Ottorino Respighi ( , , ; 9 July 187918 April 1936) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, and musicologist and one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. List of compositions by Ottorino Respighi, His compositions ra ...
, and
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...
, but with no principal conductor or music director. The first music director was Ernest Xancó, who took up the post in 1959 and served in that capacity until 1961. Subsequent music directors have included Uwe Mund (1987-1994),
Bertrand de Billy Bertrand de Billy (born Paris, 11 January 1965) is a French and Swiss conductor. He attended a Jesuit school, but only started serious musical studies when he was around 14–15; he studied piano and violin. CD Opéra  https://debilly.com/cd-op ...
(1999-2004), Sebastian Weigle (2004–2008), and
Michael Boder Michael Boder (9 November 1958 – 7 April 2024) was a German conductor of opera and concert who worked internationally. He was music director of the Basel Opera from 1989 to 1993, of the Liceu in Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, and principal cond ...
(2008-2012). In October 2010, the company announced the appointment of Josep Pons as its next music director, as of September 2012, for an initial contract of 6 years.


Premieres performed by the orchestra

The
Liceu The Gran Teatre del Liceu (; ; ), or simply Liceu, is a theater in Barcelona, Spain. Situated on La Rambla, it is the city's oldest theater building still in use for its original purpose. Founded in 1837 at another location, the Liceu ope ...
opera house has been the location for the world premieres of several works, and for the Spanish premieres of many musical works, such as the following: *1847 (April 4)
Marià Obiols Marià Obiols (26 November 1809 – 10 December 1888), also known as Mariano Obiols, was a Catalan composer, conductor, and professor of music. He served as the music director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona from its founding in 1847 ...
' cantata ''Il regio imene'', the first musical work performed by the orchestra in the inauguration day *1853 (January 8)
Temistocle Solera Temistocle Solera (25 December 1815 – 21 April 1878) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Life and career He was born in Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughou ...
's Spanish opera ''La hermana de Pelayo'', first opera premiered by the orchestra *1874 (April 14) Felipe Pedrell's opera ''L'ultimo Abenzerraggio'' *1892 (May 14)
Tomás Bretón Tomás Bretón y Hernández (29 December 1850 – 2 December 1923) was a Spanish Conducting, conductor and composer. Biography Tomás Bretón was born in Salamanca. He completed his musical studies at the School of Fine Arts in his hometown, w ...
's opera ''Garín'' *1895 (May 8)
Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the post-romantic era who also had a significant influence on his con ...
's opera '' Henry Clifford'' *1896 (January 5)
Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the post-romantic era who also had a significant influence on his con ...
's opera '' Pepita Jiménez'' *1902 (January 4) Felipe Pedrell's grand opera ''Els Pirineus'' *1903 (December 3) Joan Manén's opera ''Acté'' *1906 (January 20) Enric Morera's opera ''Empòrium'' *1913 (January 15) Jaume Pahissa's first opera ''Gal·la Placídia'' *1923 (March 31) Jaume Pahissa's ''Marianela'' *1929 Manuel Blancafort's symphonic poem ''Matí de festa a Puiggraciós'' *1932 (March 3) Joan Manén's opera ''Neró i Acté'' *1948 (January 10) Xavier Montsalvatge's children opera ''El gato con botas'' *1948 (January 10)
Carlos Surinach Carlos Lund (or Carles Suriñach)
i Wrokona (; March 6, 1915 – November 12, 1997) was a Spanish-born
's ''El mozo que casó con mujer brava'' *1950 (December 14)
Conrado del Campo Conrado del Campo y Zabaleta (28 October 1878 – 17 March 1953) was a Spanish composer, violinist and pedagogue. Career Del Campo was born in Madrid. He became professor at the Madrid Royal Conservatory in 1915, where he was an influential teac ...
's ''Lola la Piconera'' *1955 (December 19)
Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical g ...
's ballet ''Pavana Real'' *1956 (April 28) Frederic Mompou and Xavier Montsalvatge's ballet ''Perlimplinada'' *1961 (November 24)
Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
and Ernesto Halffter's scenic cantata '' Atlàntida'' *1962 (December 11) Xavier Montsalvatge's ''Una voce in off'' *1974 (January 19) Matilde Salvador's ''Vinatea'' *1986 (May 22) Josep Soler's ''Oedipus et Iocasta'' *1988 (September 21) Xavier Benguerel's scenic cantata ''Llibre vermell'' *1989 (September 24)
Leonardo Balada Leonardo Balada Ibáñez (born September 22, 1933) is a Catalan American classical composer, who is noted for his operas and orchestral works. Life Balada was born in Barcelona, Spain. After studying piano at the Conservatori Superior de M� ...
's opera ''Cristóbal Colón'' *1990 (October 5) Xavier Benguerel's oratory ''Requiem for Salvador Espriu'', at the
Torroella de Montgrí Torroella de Montgrí () is a coastal municipality on the Costa Brava, and small town in Catalonia, Spain. The town lies on the north bank of the Ter river, a few kilometres before it flows into the Mediterranean. The beach resort of L'Estartit al ...
International Festival of Music *2000 (October 2) José Luis Turina's opera ''D.Q., Don Quijote en Barcelona'', with settings by
La Fura dels Baus La Fura dels Baus () is a Spanish theatrical group founded in 1979 in Moià, Barcelona (Spain), known for their urban theatre, use of unusual settings and blurring of the boundaries between audience and actor. "La Fura dels Baus" in Catalan me ...
*2004 (November 3)
Joan Guinjoan Joan Guinjoan i Gispert (28 November 1931 – 1 January 2019) was a Catalan composer and pianist. Life Born in Riudoms, Guinjoan studied at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona. In 1954, he moved to Paris and continued ...
's opera ''Gaudí''


Music Directors

* 1959-1961 Ernest Xancó * 1981-1984 Eugenio Marco * 1987-1994 Uwe Mund * 1999-2004
Bertrand de Billy Bertrand de Billy (born Paris, 11 January 1965) is a French and Swiss conductor. He attended a Jesuit school, but only started serious musical studies when he was around 14–15; he studied piano and violin. CD Opéra  https://debilly.com/cd-op ...
* 2004–2008 Sebastian Weigle * 2008-2012
Michael Boder Michael Boder (9 November 1958 – 7 April 2024) was a German conductor of opera and concert who worked internationally. He was music director of the Basel Opera from 1989 to 1993, of the Liceu in Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, and principal cond ...
* 2012–present Josep Pons


Media


References


External links


Official home page (in Catalan)


{{DEFAULTSORT:Orquestra Simfonica del Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestras in Barcelona 1847 establishments in Spain Musical groups established in 1847 1837 establishments in Spain Musical groups established in 1837 Liceu Spanish symphony orchestras