The evaluation commission unanimously approved Joan Cortés’ candidacy in view of his long ‎career, which includes a number of different roles in the music industry, both nationally and ‎internationally.‎

The technical direction of the Vallès Symphony Orchestra for four years and his position as ‎Senior Training Programme Coordinator of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) ‎for the last six years are particularly worth mentioning. The latter includes, among others, ‎carrying out projects with major Australian and New Zealand orchestras.‎

In addition, the commission was impressed by Joan Cortés’ knowledge of the OBC’s and ‎L’Auditori’s internal structure and the complexity involved in their management, as he was ‎L’Auditori’s Head of Production for five years, a role in which he worked closely with artists of ‎the calibre of Cuarteto Casals and Jordi Savall and which involved organising the Barcelona ‎Early Music Festival and the Nous Sons Contemporary Music Festival.‎

Furthermore, Joan Cortés has extensive experience in the management of international ‎projects, having collaborated on an annual basis with organisations such as the Mahler ‎Chamber Orchestra and artists such as Thomas Adès, Simone Young and Steven Schick, ‎among many others. He has also collaborated with major Australian universities including, ‎among others, the University of Melbourne and Griffith University. Another important factor ‎in the decision was the suitability of his skills for the position, particularly his leadership skills, ‎having carried out projects such as the Music Enhancement Program, which involved, among ‎other lines of work, looking after musicians’ health and welfare, their professional ‎development and their social responsibility.‎

The selection process evaluation commission was formed by the Director of L’Auditori, ‎Robert Brufau, as chairman; the Director of Resources of the Barcelona Institute of Culture, ‎M. Isabel Balliu Badia, the Technical Director of the Barcelona Symphony Band, Joan Xicola ‎González, and the Director of the Museu de la Música/Robert Gerhard Centre, Jaume Ayats ‎Abeyà, as members; and the Head of Human Resources of the Consorci de l’Auditori i ‎l’Orquestra, Mr Raúl Sanz Toral as secretary.‎

You can download a photograph of Joan Cortés here.‎