In September 2022, Josep Pons received the Critics’ Award for Best Musical Direction at the Friends of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Critics’ Awards, in recognition of his work on Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande and Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, two of the outstanding productions of the 2021/22 season.
The jury particularly praised the artistic quality of both performances, highlighting Josep Pons’s ability to move convincingly between two very different musical worlds. In Pelléas et Mélisande, his interpretation was noted for its transparency, refinement and orchestral colour, while Wozzeck revealed the dramatic power and structural complexity of Berg’s masterpiece.
The award also recognised the continued artistic development of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and the musical project led by Josep Pons since 2012, particularly his commitment to twentieth-century opera.
With this distinction, Josep Pons received his fourth Friends of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Critics’ Award, confirming the sustained appreciation of his work by the specialised music press.