On 26 June 2025, Josep Pons was named an Honorary Member of Amics del Liceu for 2025, in recognition of his artistic career and his close and enduring relationship with the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The distinction was presented during La Nit dels Amics, the association’s annual gathering, held in the Foyer of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. The evening brought together members, artists and representatives of the operatic world and also included the presentation of the Critics’ Awards, alongside performances by emerging and established artists.
Through this honour, Amics del Liceu particularly recognised the musical project developed by Josep Pons since he became the theatre’s Music Director in 2012. During this period, his work has played a decisive role in the artistic growth of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the expansion of their repertoire and the development of a distinctive musical identity.
The distinction also acknowledged his commitment to the major operatic and symphonic repertoire, with composers such as Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Alban Berg, Dmitri Shostakovich and Giacomo Puccini occupying a central place in his work at the theatre, alongside contemporary creation and the recovery of Catalan and Spanish musical heritage.
Amics del Liceu maintains a close relationship with the opera house and promotes opera through lectures, publications, cultural visits, travel programmes and patronage initiatives. Its activities include support for chamber concerts featuring members of the Liceu Orchestra and projects designed to encourage new generations of performers.
The title of Honorary Member therefore carried particular significance: it came from an association formed by audiences and opera lovers who had closely followed the development of the theatre’s musical project. The distinction celebrated both Josep Pons’s artistic career and the relationship he had built with Liceu audiences over more than a decade.