Orfeó Català
One of the most prestigious and historically significant vocational choirs in the country
The choir
Orfeó Català is one of the country’s leading vocational choirs. Founded more than 125 years ago, in 1891, by Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives, its purpose was to showcase the Catalan and international choral repertoires, and to ensure the excellence of its performances. Presently, Xavier Puig is the main conductor and Pau Casan is the pianist. Simon Halsey is still connected to the choir as principal guest conductor and ambassador of Palau de la Música’s choirs. Orfeó Català is based in Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Biography
The Orfeó Català is one of the country's leading amateur choirs. The choir has over 130 years of history, and was founded in 1891 by Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives to share choral repertoire from Catalonia and around the world, with the utmost artistic standards. Xavier Puig is the current choir director, while Pau Casan is the choir pianist. Simon Halsey has a close relationship with the choir as the key guest conductor and ambassador for Palau choirs. The Orfeó Català is based at the Palau de la Música Catalana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With arround a hundred voices, the Orfeó Català has performed some of the most recognisable works in choral repertoire, starring the first-ever performances in Spain of important works such as Bach’s Mass in B minor and Haydn's The Seasons. The choir has been led by a range of internationally renowned conductors: Richard Strauss, Camille Saint-Saëns, Pau Casals, Zubin Mehta, Frans Brüggen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Kirill Petrenko and Thomas Hengelbrock, to name just a few.
Recent years have included performances of Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson, in which the Orfeó Català starred in the European première under the baton of Simon Halsey; Beethoven’s oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle; Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with the Palau Cor de Cambra and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel; the centenary celebration of the first performance in Spain of the St. Matthew Passion, with soloists from the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Orquestra Simfònica Camera Musicae and the Orfeó Català children’s choir, the Cor Infantil, all conducted by maestro Simon Halsey; and Oltra mar by Kaija Saariaho, together with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya and under the baton of Anna Maria Helsing. Also noteworthy are concerts with the Bamberg Symphony, performing the Berliner Messe by Arvo Pärt under the baton of Jakub Hrůša; concerts with the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, conducted by Marzena Diakun and performing Music in Common Time by Caroline Shaw; and concerts with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, in the début première of Variations on ‘El cant dels ocells’. Fantasy for choir and organ, composed and conducted by Jörg Widmann.
In terms of international appearances, stand-out performances include the choir's 2022 concert at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris, singing Puccini’s Messa di Gloria alongside the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg under the baton of Gustavo Gimeno; and the choir’s performances alongside the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2023, conducted by Kirill Petrenko, in a historic four-concert run: at the Berliner Philharmonie, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, and at Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, with a rendition of Mozart’s Coronation Mass. The choir has also given performances at the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the Calouste Gulbenkian concert hall in Lisbon; toured Italy with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Gatti; and given performances in London on three occasions: in 2015 at the Royal Festival Hall, and in 2017 and 2019 at the Royal Albert Hall for the Proms, alongside the Cor Jove, the London Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra, performing a rendition of William Walton's oratorio Belshazzar's Feast under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. The choir toured China in 2018, and in 2019 the Orfeó Català went on tour with Gustavo Dudamel and the Munich Philharmonic, together with the Palau Cor de Cambra, performing Mahler's Symphony No. 2.
More recently, in February 2024 as part of the Palau 100 concert series, the Orfeó Català performed Brahms’ A German Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, “Lobgesang” on stage with the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Orchester, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock. These pieces were later performed in Hamburg by the Orfeó Català and the Hengelbrock ensembles. In January 2025, the Orfeó Català and the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya took centre stage for a performance of Dream Requiem by Rufus Wainwright, directed by Ludovic Morlot at the Palau. In April and May, the choir performed Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Harding, in concerts in Stockholm, at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, and in Girona.
Over the 2025-26 season, the Orfeó Català will give a rendition of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem alongside Dresden’s Staatskapelle, conducted by Daniele Gatti, at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona and in Madrid. In addition, the choir will première Josep Ollé’s Te Deum, and will perform for the first time in the United States, in Los Angeles in February 2026, together with the Palau Cor de Cambra chamber choir and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (LA Phil), under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, with a rendition of Beethoven's Missa solemnis.
The Orfeó Català is sponsored by mesoestetic®.
With the support of
Artistic team
Xavier Puig
Principal conductor
Born in Cervera, in the province of Lleida, Xavier Puig i Ortiz started his music studies at Cervera Municipal Conservatory of Music with the piano and violin. He went on to expand his musical knowledge further at the Badalona Professional Conservatory of Music, where he received the qualifications to teach harmony, counterpoint, composition and instrumentation, under the tutelage of M. A. Hurtado, M. Roger, B. Casablancas and J. Soler.
In parallel, he began studying choral conducting at the International Choral Conducting Course in Lleida, studying under maestros Josep Prats, Johan Duijck, Laszlo Heltay and Jordi Casas (1990-1994). He also received a masterclass from conductor Eric Ericson, organised by the “La Caixa” Foundation. Puig i Ortiz continued his training as a choral conductor at the European Conducting Course taught by Pierre Cao in Catalonia (1996-1998) and at the Académie Intenationale de Pontarlier (France, 1997-98).
He was introduced to orchestral conducting by maestro Salvador Mas at the Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music (1994-95) and at the Wiener Meisterkurs (1999). In 1999 he was admitted to the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where for three years he studied Musikleitung (musical conducting), specialising in orchestra conducting, under the tutelage of Leopold Hager, Yuji Yuassa, Günther Theuring and Howard Arman, among others. In March 2001, he received the Erste Diplom from this renowned music institution.
In March 2002 Puig i Ortiz obtained a permanent post to become assistant conductor for the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España (JONDE), a position he held until 2004. Over the course of his time as assistant conductor, the orchestra gave concerts at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Festival, at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, and at the Auditorio in León. In 2005 he conducted JONDE in a recording of Spanish music, with works by Esplà and Gómez.
In July 2003 he obtained a permanent post to become assistant conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (OBC), a position he held until July 2005, conducting programmes including works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Britten.
He is resident conductor for the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV), which he led between 2018 and 2025. Prior to this, he also had links to the orchestra through its Easter tour, which is dedicated to symphonic-choral repertoire. He has conducted the Cor de Cambra chamber choir at the Palau de la Música Catalana since 2018, and the chamber choir at the Orfeó Català since 2025, through which he has given a new energy to Catalan choral heritage, performing works by contemporary choral composers and creating a range of different choral projects on stage. He is also principal guest conductor for the Orquestra de Girona. Puig i Ortiz conducted the Cor de Cambra de l’Auditori Enric Granados de Lleida from 2002 to 2025, working on a number of projects featuring folk songs, in addition to classics from choral-orchestral repertoire. He also conducted the Coral Ginesta de Cervera between 1994 and 2018. In terms of opera, he founded the Òpera de Tres Rals company, dedicated to small-format opera, and has conducted a number of different works for Òpera a Catalunya in Sabadell and Òpera Popular de Barcelona.
As guest conductor, he has conducted the Orquesta Nacional de España (ONE), Orquesta y Coro de RTVE, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra and the orchestras of Granada, Extremadura, Córdoba, and also the Orquestra Nacional Clàssica d’Andorra, Orquestra Barroca Catalana, the ensemble Kaleidoscop der Nationen de Viena, Orquestra Simfònica Julià Carbonell de les Terres de Lleida, Camerata XXI de Reus, Camerata Eduard Toldrà de Vilanova, Orquestra de Cambra de Granollers, Orquestra Camera Musicae, Lleidart Ensemble and Orquestra Terrassa 48.
In terms of teaching, he is a professor of orchestra and conducting at the Catalonia College of Music (ESMUC). He has been guest conductor for a number youth orchestras, including the Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (JORCAM), the orchestras of the music conservatories of the Canary Islands, Musikene, Badajoz and Tarragona, as well as the Encuentro de Jóvenes Orquestas de Igualada and the Jove Orquestra de la Diputació de Tarragona, in addition to the Jove Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, which he conducts annually. Xavier Puig i Ortiz has been a professor on the FCEC and FESTCAT Choral Conducting Courses, has taught at the Cervera International Course, and since 2017 he has directed the Conducting Course for Orquestra Terrassa 48.
His recordings include an album of religious music by Mompou and Blancafort, the first recording of the Concertos for violin and oboe by Joan Manén, and a symphonic work by Ricard Lamote de Grignon, as well as a number of programmes for TV3.
He was artistic director for the Cervera Easter Festival for the first six years of the event, which he founded in 2011 and which is dedicated to Catalan classical music. In addition to his work conducting the concert commemorating the National Day of Catalonia on 11 September, he has done excellent work to re-energise and promote music by Catalan composers.
Pau Casan
Pianist for the Orfeó Català and the Children's Choir of the Orfeó Català
Born in Barcelona, Pau Casan studied piano with C. Agustí, M. Drets and professor M. Farré at the Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona, where he graduated with first class honours and an honourable mention. He went on to complete postgraduate studies with G. Fergus-Thompson and R. Vignoles at the Royal College of Music in London, via a scholarship from Fundació Agustí Pedro i Pons. Casan has attended masterclasses with A. de Larrocha, N. Bonet, M. Hastings, R. Fernández-Aguirre, P. Badura-Skoda and J. Nin-Culmell, among others.
He won first prize at the 23rd Joan Massià Competition, as well as third prize at the 33rd Catalonia Young Performers Competition, and the prize for best pianist at the 22nd City of Berga Awards, in the category of vocal/lied chamber performance.
He has given concerts as a soloist in Barcelona, Reus, San Sebastián, Bogotá and London. As an accompanist, he has performed in Spain, France, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Colombia and China, specialising in collaboration with choral singers and soloists.
Casan currently combines his concert performances with teaching at the Liceu Conservatory. He regularly plays at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as a répétiteur and is the official pianist for the Tenor Viñas Competition. Since 2010, he has been the pianist for the Orfeó Català Cor Infantil Children’s Choir, while he has accompanied the Orfeó Català since 2021.
Repertoire
The Orfeó Català is a symphonic choir. Its concert programme alternates performances of vocal-orchestral repertoires with those of choral music, including an important role for Catalan traditional and classical music. The Orfeó Català has a vast, rich musical repertoire, highlights of which include the following:
- Magnificat by J. S. Bach
- The Seasons by J. F. Haydn
- Requiem by Mozart
- Te Deum by Bruckner
- Symphony no. 2 by Mahler
- A German Requiem by Brahms
- Requiem by Verdi
- Requiem by Dvořák
- Mass in C major by Beethoven
- Cant espiritual by Montsalvatge
- Alexander Nevsky by Prokófiev
- Ninth Symphony by Beethoven
- Mass by Rheinberger
- Requiem by Bruckner
- Utrecht Te Deum by Haendel
Contact
Booking
tel.: + 34 93 295 72 30
[email protected]
Member Services
Tel.: + 34 93 295 72 13
[email protected]