The Gran Teatre del Liceu has officially presented Jonathan Nott, who will assume the post of music director from the 2026–27 season. While his appointment was first announced in July 2025, the presentation marked the first detailed outline of the artistic framework that will shape his tenure.
Nott will succeed Josep Pons, who becomes Honorary Music Director of the Barcelona opera house.
A new phase beginning with Wagner
Central to the presentation was the confirmation that Nott’s tenure will open with a new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen. The cycle will be co-produced by the Liceu and the Bayerische Staatsoper, with stage direction by Tobias Kratzer.
The Ring will unfold gradually, with one opera premiered per season starting in 2026–27 and continuing through 2028–29, establishing a long-term artistic axis for the theatre.
First appearance before the new season
Before formally assuming the role, Nott will conduct the Liceu Orchestra this season in Nijinsky, John Neumeier’s ballet production, presented from 12 to 15 April with the Hamburg Ballet.
The programme includes music by Chopin, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Shostakovich, and will be Nott’s first appearance at the Liceu podium in advance of his official appointment.
Symphonic focus and new subscription
Coinciding with Nott’s arrival, the Liceu will introduce a new symphonic subscription, comprising three programmes. The initiative reflects the theatre’s intention to strengthen its symphonic identity alongside its operatic core.
An international profile shaped by opera and contemporary music
Jonathan Nott has held prominent positions across Europe and Asia, including as music director of the Bamberg Symphony (2000–2016), principal conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. His work has consistently combined core German repertory with a strong commitment to 20th- and 21st-century music.
He has conducted extensively in opera, ballet, and concert settings, and is known for his long-standing engagement with composers such as Ligeti, Messiaen, Boulez, and Lachenmann, as well as Wagner, Mahler, and Strauss.
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