On 7 October 2019, the Gran Teatre del Liceu opened its 2019/20 season with a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, conducted by Josep Pons. The premiere carried particular symbolic significance: it marked the 20th anniversary of the theatre’s reopening after the 1994 fire, a reopening that had also taken place with Puccini’s final opera.
The production, created by visual artist Franc Aleu, offered a futuristic reading of the work, with a strong use of technology, video and audiovisual language. This new approach to Turandot combined striking visual impact with the monumental musical force of Puccini’s score, transforming the Liceu stage into a space of intense dramatic and symbolic power. The cast featured leading voices including Iréne Theorin, Jorge de León, Ermonela Jaho, Alexander Vinogradov, Toni Marsol, Francisco Vas, Mikeldi Atxalandabaso and Michael Borth, among others.
From the pit, Josep Pons conducted the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in one of the most spectacular and demanding scores of Puccini’s repertoire. The production marked another step in the artistic consolidation of the theatre’s resident musical forces, highlighting the strength of both orchestra and chorus in a work of great symphonic and choral scope.
With this Turandot, the Liceu celebrated two decades since its reopening while reaffirming its determination to look towards the future without losing sight of the institution’s memory. For Josep Pons, the project represented a further stage in the musical development of the theatre’s orchestra and in the construction of a repertoire capable of bringing together tradition, artistic ambition and stage innovation.