In February 2022, Josep Pons conducted Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis at London’s Barbican Centre, one of the United Kingdom’s leading cultural institutions. The performance marked the international presentation of a production created by the Gran Teatre del Liceu, further strengthening the international profile of the Barcelona opera house.
Composed in 1943 in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, Ullmann’s opera, with a libretto by Peter Kien, is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s most powerful musical testimonies. Its profound human and symbolic message has made it one of the defining operatic works inspired by the experience of the Holocaust.
The performance brought together the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with an international cast in Àlex Ollé’s acclaimed production, originally created for the Liceu. Its presentation at the Barbican highlighted both the artistic quality of the production and the growing international recognition of the Barcelona opera house.
For Josep Pons, the project represented another important contribution to his long-standing commitment to twentieth-century opera while extending his collaboration with one of Europe’s foremost concert venues.