About this Artist
Born in 1973 in Cervera (Lleida), Xavier Puig began his musical studies with the piano and violin at the Municipal Conservatory in his native town, broadening his musical education at the Professional Conservatory of Badalona and earning the teaching qualification for Harmony, Counterpoint, Composition and Instrumentation under the tutelage of M.A. Hurtado, M. Roger, B. Casablancas and J. Soler.
At the same time he began studying conducting with the International Course of Choir Direction in Lleida, where he learned from the maestros Josep Prats, Johan Duijck, Laszlo Heltay and Jordi Casas (1990-1994). He continued his training as a choir director with the European Conducting Courses taught by Pierre Cao in Catalonia (1996-1998) and at the Pontarlier International Academy in France (1997-1998).
He began orchestral conducting with maestro Salvador Mas at the Barcelona Conservatory and in 1999 he was accepted into Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts, where he completed his orchestral conducting studies with Leopold Hager.
In March 2002 he won the contest for the position of Assistant Director of Spain’s National Youth Orchestra (JONDE), also earning the Assistant Director post of the Barcelona Symphonic and Catalonia National Orchestra (OBC) in July 2003, with whom he conducted various concerts featuring works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Britten.
In 2018 he was appointed Conductor of the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra and Principal Director of the Cor de Cambra of the Palau de la Música Catalana. He also directs the Girona Orchestra and the Enric Granados Auditorium Chamber Choir in Lleida. For 25 years he has directed the Retama Choir of Cervera and the Arrayán Ensemble, dedicated to performing music from the 20th century. In the field of opera, he founded the chamber music company Òpera de Tres Rals, dedicated to small format opera, and he currently directs different concerts in the Òpera a Palau cycle. He has been guest conductor for numerous orchestras around Spain and maintains a close relationship with the Terrassa 48 Orchestra, with whom he will begin a comprehensive interpretation of Beethoven’s symphonies.
Xavier teaches Orchestra and Conducting at the Catalonia Higher School of Music (ESMUC). He has been guest conductor for several youth orchestras and he now directs the Conducting Course for the Terrassa 48 Orchestra since 2017.
He has filmed the work of Catalan composers and various educational programmes for Catalonia’s TV3. He was artistic director for the first six editions of the Cervera Easter Festival, dedicated to Catalan classical music, which he founded in 2011.