Josep Vicent (born 1970) is the artistic director and principal conductor of The World Orchestra.
Josep Vicent’a career as a musician and conductor spans over two decades. He has been guest conductor at Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, Orquestra del Liceu de Barcelona, Orquesta del Teatro Real de Madrid, Kiev Symphony Orchestra-Ukraine National Orchestra, Nederlands Radio Metropol Orkest, Holland Sinfonia, Filarmónica de Montevideo‐SODRE, Amman Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, JONDE, ORTVE, The Interval Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya amongstother. This season Josep Vicent will conduct the Orchestra of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (Brussels), Orquesta Nacional de España and Residentie Orkest (The Hague).
Throughout his career he has aimed to promote the encounter between cultures, both as a percussion soloist and as artistic director of the renowned Amsterdam Percussion Group, as well as the author of shows for festivals all over the world, where he has premièred hundreds of new works. Interculturalism, eclecticism and the aim to make the music accessible to new and younger audiences are reflected widely in his work as a musician and communicator. His musical career is supported by over twenty albums on various labels, including two own soundtracks.
Through EAST‐WEST MUSIC, in 2004 he re‐launched the international project JEUNESSES MUSICALES WORLD ORCHESTRA. Under his artistic direction this youth orchestra, created by Igor Markevitch after the Second World War with the idea of providing opportunities for young musicians, lived five years of successes. The orchestra achieved worldwide reputation for its high artistic quality and became a symbol of solidarity and cooperation between nations. For this work, in 1996 the orchestra was awarded the distinction of UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Over the past 30 years 2500 musicians from 50 countries have been members of the orchestra and have performed their music in the best halls in the world, taking part in big events like Olympic Games or diplomatic celebrations, as the anniversary of the foundation of the State of Israel or concerts on both sides of the Berlin Wall. The orchestra has been under the direction of maestros like Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Yakov Kreizberg and Kurt Masur.
With Josep Vicent as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, the orchestra has toured between 2005 and 2009 China, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Cyprus, Germany and Canada and has recorded two albums for COLUMNA MÚSICA, “Opera Overtures”, with all the overtures composed by Vicente Martín i Soler, and “Live Emotions”, with Stravinsky’s “Sacre du Printemps”. “Live Emotions” has been awarded Best Classical Music Album 2009 in Spain.
Over the last period the diplomatic involvement of the orchestra was reflected in the celebration of the Peace Treaty between China and Japan with a tour of 12 concerts in China in Summer 2005, the annual series ‘Concerts for Peace’ in Holland between 2005 and 2009, concerts in Cyprus in summer 2006 for refugees from Lebanon, international tours with new music in Canada, Germany and Spain, and the remembrance at the Teatre Grec in Barcelona in July 2006 of the concert that Pau Casals had to cancel because of the start of the Spanish Civil War.