Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu

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Titular symphony orchestra from the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Founded, as the theater, in 1847, it is the oldest orchestra still working in Barcelona, and the oldest in Spain. Its first conductor was Marià Obiols.

Orchestra musical directors, and head conductors has been:

Michael Boder, 2009- (previewed)
Sebastian Weigle, 2004-2009
Bertrand de Billy, 1999-2004.
Uwe Mund, 1987-1994.
Eugenio Marco, 1981-1984.
Ernest Xancó, 1959-1961.

Previously, the orchestra had not head conductors, but invited ones. Some of the conductors that have worked at Liceu has been: Franco Faccio, Felix Weingartner, Manuel de Falla, Alexander Glazunov,Richard Strauss, Igor Strawinsky, Joan Lamote de Grignon, Joan Manén, Jaume Pahissa, Ottorino Respighi, Pietro Mascagni, Karl Elmendorff, Max von Schillings, Joseph Keilberth, Clemens Krauss, Bruno Walter, Arturo Toscanini, Hans Knappertsbusch, Otto Klemperer, Albert Coates, George Sebastian, Erich Kleiber, Franz Konwitschny, Antal Dorati, Hans Swarowsky, André Cluytens, Antonino Votto, Richard Bonynge, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Jesús López Cobos, Riccardo Muti, Vaclav Neumann, Josep Pons, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Pinchas Steinberg, Friedrich Haider, Peter Schneider, Silvio Varviso, Sylvain Cambreling or Víctor Pablo Pérez.

The orchestra has played at Teatro Real and Palacio Real de Madrid, Arenes de Nîmes, Ludwigshafen opera, Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, el Palau de la Música Catalana i el Teatre Grec de Barcelona, Orange Festival, Odeon Herodion Atticus in Athens, Seu Vella in Lerida, Peralada, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, Palau de la Música de Valencia and La Fenice opera house in Venice.

[edit] Premieres performed by the orchestra

Liceu opera house has been the location for the world premieres of several works, and for the Spanish premieres of a lot of musical works. Among the absolute premieres are (see all at Gran Teatre del Liceu):

1847 (April 4) Marià Obiols' cantata Il regio imene, the first musical work performed by the orchestra in the inauguration day.
1853 (January 8) Temistocle Solera'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's opera Garín.
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.
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's El mozo que casó con mujer brava.
1950 (December 14) Conrado del Campo's Lola la Piconera.
1956 (April 28) Frederic Mompou and Xavier Montsalvatge's ballet Perlimplinada.
1961 (November 24) Manuel de Falla 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's opera Cristóbal Colón.
1990 (October 5) Xavier Benguerel's oratory Requiem for Salvador Espriu, at the Torroella de Montgrí 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.
2004 (November 3) Joan Guinjoan's opera Gaudí.