Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu

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, Spain. 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 and at L'Auditori. The first conductor of the orchestra was Marià Obiols. The orchestra subsequently worked with guest conductors, including the composers Manuel de Falla, Alexander Glazunov, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Ottorino Respighi, and Pietro Mascagni, 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 (1999-2004), Sebastian Weigle (2004–2008), and Michael Boder (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.