Founded in 1989, the World Youth Choir (WYC) is an international ensemble of outstanding young voices from around the globe, bringing together up to one hundred singers aged between 17 and 26. Each year, the choir prepares a new programme and embarks on a tour. Recognised as a UNESCO Artist for Peace (1996–1998), the ensemble has performed at the Olympics (1992, 2008) and at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony (2011). This year’s tour, taking place between 13 July and 1 August across France and Catalonia, includes a stop at the Palau de la Música Catalana, where the choir will perform as part of the 2025 Grec Festival. WYC’s renowned directors include Daniel Reuss in Barcelona. An acclaimed German-Dutch conductor who specialises in choral music, Reuss will lead an a cappella performance featuring works ranging from Arnold Schönberg’s Friede auf Erden to pieces by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, such as Actus caritatis, and compositions by Felix Mendelssohn, including Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt. One special inclusion in the programme is El cant dels ocells [Song of the Birds], the famous Catalan folk song arranged by Bernat Vivancos and popularised by Pau Casals. The renowned cellist also composed O vos omnes, a magical piece that will also be performed at the Palau de la Música. The programme will also feature a premiere: Peace, a new work by Catalan composer Anna Campmany Duch.

A production by Palau de la Música Catalana and JM International