Xavier Puig

Department of Classical and Contemporary Music

xpuig@esmuc.cat

Pràctica d’orquestra 1, 2 i Pràctica d’orquestra per a percussió 1, 2

PUIG, Xavier

Education

Born in 1973 in Cervera (Lleida), he began his musical studies in piano and violin at the Municipal Conservatory of Cervera. He later expanded his studies at the Professional Conservatory of Badalona, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in harmony, counterpoint, composition, and instrumentation under the guidance of M.A. Hurtado, M. Roger, B. Casablancas, and J. Soler.

In parallel, he started studying choral conducting at the International Choral Conducting Courses in Lleida, where he learned from masters such as Josep Prats, Johan Duijck, Laszlo Heltay, and Jordi Casas. He continued his training in choral conducting at the European Conducting Courses taught by Professor Pierre Cao in Catalonia and at the Academie International de Pontarlier in France.

He ventured into orchestral conducting under the guidance of maestro Salvador Mas at the Superior Conservatory of Barcelona and at the Conservatory of Vienna. In 1999, he was admitted to the University of Vienna, where he pursued studies in orchestral conducting under the mentorship of Leopold Hager.

Career

In March 2002, he won the selection process for the position of assistant conductor of the JONDE (Joven Orquesta Nacional de España). In July 2003, he won the position of assistant conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (OBC), with which he conducted several concerts.

Since 2018, he has been the principal conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica del Vallès, with which he was already associated through the annual Easter tour dedicated to symphonic-choral repertoire. He is also the principal conductor of the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana since 2018, with whom he has recovered numerous Catalan choral treasures. Additionally, he conducts the Orquestra de Girona and the Chamber Choir of the Auditori "Enric Granados" of Lleida since 2002. He has also conducted the Coral Ginesta in Cervera and the Murtra Ensemble. In the operatic field, he founded the chamber opera company Òpera de tres rals, dedicated to small-scale opera; and currently conducts various titles in the cycle Ópera en el Palau. He has been a guest conductor for numerous orchestras in the country, maintaining a close relationship with the Orquesta Terrassa48, with which he currently performs the complete symphonies of Beethoven.

He has recorded works by Catalan authors and various educational programs for TV3. He was the artistic director of the first six editions of the Pasqua de Cervera Festival, dedicated to Catalan classical music, which he founded in 2011.

Teaching

He is a professor of orchestra and conducting at ESMUC. He has been a guest conductor for numerous youth orchestras, and he currently directs the Conducting Course of the Orquesta Terrassa48.