“For me, in a sense, this is like going back home.” Conductor and chorusmaster Xavier Puig himself used to sing with the choir of Orfeó Català. “It is a very pleasant feeling… We had fun this season – which for a vocational chorus, I think is very important.” After a demanding first season, with performances across the world, Xavier Puig is embarking on his second period as artistic director of the Orfeó Català and the Cor de Cambra (Chamber Chorus) of the Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona. We talk about his relationship with one of Spain’s most important choral institutions, as another season full of challenging projects beckons.
“The relationship has been very positive”, Puig comments. “I have felt welcomed within the choruses and the institution as whole,” and adds “although, in a way, it has been a period of testing things out, I think we have settled in very well.”
Puig landed naturally in this position, after having spent several years building a conducting career both in Catalonia and elsewhere. Especially relevant were his years as chief conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallés, from 2018 to 2025, as well as the conductor of the Palau’s Cor de Cambra since 2018. The OSV is a very busy orchestra, and Puig worked on a wide range of repertoire, including opera and symphonic choral works. And since it is the norm that the conductor leads both the orchestra and the chorus on stage, “I worked on all that repertoire, which gives me a good hint on how to prepare the chorus.”
Over the past few months, the Orfeó has taken to the stage in some notably demanding works, including Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and Verdi’s Requiem. “I was surprised at how they give their all when they are on stage.” But Puig has noticed room for development in certain areas: he wants the Orfeó to grow vocally and musically, and for every member of the choir to gain a wider knowledge of the works they perform. In this sense, “we want to optimise, for example, the time spent preparing the pieces.”
Every member of the choir receives music lessons, and the objective now is to open up this offer and adapt the teaching. “We will be more precise to each member’s specific needs,” Puig affirms, and he continues with another example: “we’ve achieved very positive results working in small groups, small sections.” This training is part of what Puig conceives as a long-term project – the position of chief conductor “allows you to build something looking far ahead,” he says.
As we talk about repertoire, our conversation flows naturally towards the other choir Puig is in charge of, the Cor de Cambra, the professional chorus of the Palau de la Música. While the Orfeó Català focuses on choral works from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Cor de Cambra is mainly involved in Early music, Baroque and contemporary. “I find them complementary in terms of repertoire,” though the Cor de Cambra’s smaller size makes it “much more versatile,” continues Puig. “We can work on many different projects, we can repeat concerts, and the way I approach rehearsals is completely different.” The Cor de Cambra is also expected to tour their programmes around the region on a regular basis, and they prepare staged projects. On occasion, both choirs join forces for specific programmes, as they did with Beethoven’s Missa solemnis last season, resulting in a fantastic combination of vocational motivation and professional technique. “I think this is what fascinated Dudamel when he conducted the choirs in Los Angeles” suggests Puig.
And it’s not only Gustavo Dudamel that has fallen under the spell of the Orfeó Català. By its own nature, the Orfeó Català is limited in what it can do outside of its headquarters, the Palau, and they have to turn down invitations frequently. Nevertheless, touring is an area they would like to explore further and to do so, “we are very fortunate to count with several conductors which like us very much.” They include Gustavo Dudamel and Daniele Gatti: “we have future projects with them that guarantees some international presence – we are very grateful.”
Gatti is mentioned again when I ask Puig which programmes he is more excited about: the choirs will prepare Beethoven’s Ninth for a production under Gatti’s baton. Puig also mentions Mendelssohn’s Elijah – surprisingly, the Orfeó hasn’t performed it in a long time, in spite of being such a central choral work. “I think it’s a piece in which the chorus has a very special role – it is almost the protagonist of the oratorio,” he says. “It is undoubtedly one of my favourite works by Mendelssohn.” Puig reflects on the fact that Mendelssohn doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. “I’d love to contribute to establish Elijah as part of the repertoire so it gets performed every year.” As they do with the Choral Symphony or Mahler’s Resurrection “that we play regularly” – this season with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona.
Puig also talks about other smaller projects to which he is very much looking forward to, “several a cappella programmes that we also take around the region.” This format requires some research as well: “we include Catalan composers, and in some cases, we edit the score and parts, with the aim of not only to performing the work, but also recording it.” Puig considers this aspect paramount. “It is fundamental to leave this heritage available to anyone through the recordings.” Championing Catalan composers is one of the central tenets of Puig’s artistic project, something that expands into other areas as well. The Palau organises a composition competition, the International Choral Composition Competition of the Orfeó Català, to bolster “a new generation of Catalan choral composers that we have called ‘Generation C’,” explains Puig. “I am certain they will bring change and we are very confident about them.”
Some of those composers come from the choral world themselves. We discuss the fact that “it is very uncommon to teach or explore the choir at the conservatoires or music schools.” And traditionally, Puig says, “choral music has been regarded closer to popular music than academic music.” But this perspective is changing, there are many composers now committed to choral music, and not only that, “it is also very impressive the diversity of styles we see among those composers, but which all converge in that awareness of the choir.” This season the Palau has chosen Marian Márquez as the resident choral composer, and two works by her will be premiered (La pau depèn de tu and a second one for cobla and cello).
Puig reflects that this trend is directly related to the strong movement of choral singing that exists in Catalonia. Many choral composers have been – or still are – directly involved with choruses, be it as singers or as conductors. “We have two composers in the Cor de Cambra, for example, so they now experience the ensemble first hand.” This is important, Puig suggests: “we can detect straight away if a composition is well-conceived vocally and is suitable for a choir.” But there is also another aspect in relation with the so-called Generation C, “that choirs are now much better prepared technically – they are able to tackle contemporary music, because the standard has risen not only for the Orfeó Català, but also for many other Catalan choirs.” Consequently, “composers see the choir as a viable medium for their musical language.”
This synergy is in part motivated by the presence and activity of so many choirs around the region. Since its founding in 1891, the Orfeó Català has been an inspiration, “and the Orfeó must continue to fulfil that leadership role,” comments Puig. It has shaped the musical landscape in Catalonia and the whole choral movement is still very much part of the social fabric. Still, “I’d say that the Catalan choral movement is going through a time of change, and we have to adapt to different realities,” Puig says. The younger choirs of the Orfeó are very important as they represent the future, and not only for the Orfeó Català. “It becomes an intergenerational group, which is fascinating” observes Puig, “but for the whole choral scene.” He highlights some important soloists trained in the youth choir, including Serena Sáenz, Ferran Mitjans, or the rising star Elionor Martínez.
The concept of the choir as a compositional medium comes back when I ask Puig about the program the Orfeó Català, Cor de Noies and Cor Infantil are preparing to tour Europe with the New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel – which includes John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls. “The choir is part of the musical structure and the pre-recorded sections, in the sense that we are the musical protagonists alongside the orchestra.” The approach to this piece is completely different from Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, for example. In Adams’ work, “we are another instrument, so we need to focus on what we do musically, rather than in the lyricism of the voices.” In both cases they prepared themselves thoroughly: in Beethoven’s work, which is technically very difficult and demanding, “we involve several teachers and maestros to prepare the chorus in sections, for example.” When it comes to the upcoming programme, the difficulty relies in that it is an unusual repertoire for the Orfeó, “we will focus on gaining confidence.”
In any case, “it is very exciting for all of us here at the Palau.”
Orfeó Català tour through Europe with Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic from 10th October.
Xavier Puig conducts Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Orfeó Català in May 2027.
See upcoming performances by Orfeó Català and the Cor de Cambra of Palau de la Música Catalana.
This article was sponsored by Palau de la Música Catalana – Orfeó Català.
