The pianist, composer and academic administrator is a former student of the Liceu Conservatory, Dean of Postgraduate Studies and founder of the centre’s Jazz Department. The new director takes on the challenge of boosting the institution’s international profile, ensuring its sustainability and strengthening its links with the creative industries.
The Board of Trustees of the Liceu Conservatory, chaired by Sergi Ferrer-Salat, announced yesterday the appointment of Iñaki Sandoval Campillo as the institution’s new director general. The appointment marks the start of a generational handover and a key strategic move for the future of one of Europe’s leading music education centres.
Iñaki Sandoval succeeds Maria Serrat, who has retired after leading the Foundation for more than 27 years. This handover marks the start of a new era aimed at consolidating the Conservatory’s historic legacy through a modern vision centred on academic excellence and global impact.
During the presentation, the president of the Liceu Conservatory Foundation, Sergi Ferrer-Salat, emphasised that “Iñaki Sandoval not only brings first-rate international management experience from leading institutions in Asia and Europe, but also possesses a deep understanding of the very essence of our institution and an artistic sensibility that ensures excellence remains our guiding principle”.
Iñaki Sandoval emphasised that “I am taking on the role of director of the Liceu Conservatory as an exciting challenge, with deep humility, but also with absolute confidence in the future that we are beginning to shape together today. For me, this is not just any appointment. It is a vital turning point in my personal and professional life. Returning to the Liceu Conservatory is, quite simply, coming home”.
The new director of the Liceu Conservatory stated that “I am returning to the Liceu Conservatory with the passion and experience I have gained, with the confidence of someone who knows this institution from the ground up as both a student and a teacher, and with a firm determination to build the future on the foundation of young talent. My aim is for the Liceu Conservatory to become one of the leading European and global centres for musical education in the 21st century”.
An international profile with roots at the Liceu Conservatory
The appointment of Iñaki Sandoval marks the return of a figure closely linked to the institution. Having graduated in Classical Piano from the Liceu Conservatory itself in 1998, Sandoval went on to forge a brilliant international career, studying at Berklee College of Music and the University of Nevada, as well as holding a PhD in Art History and Musicology from the UAB.
His professional career combines artistic excellence with high-level management. Between 2003 and 2015, Sandoval played a key role at the Liceu Conservatory as Dean of Postgraduate Studies and founder of the Jazz Department, which under his leadership became a European benchmark. During that period, he was the main driving force behind the strategic partnership with the international network of Berklee College of Music.
Over the past decade, Sandoval has established himself as a leader of complex arts institutions abroad. Since 2022, he has served as Dean of the School of Music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), an institution ranked 10th in the world for the performing arts. Prior to this, he was Director General of the Viljandi Culture Academy at the University of Tartu (Estonia) between 2015 and 2021.
The new Director General takes up his post with the mission of implementing the Foundation’s new strategic plan. Its key priorities, underpinned by his success in international settings, include academic innovation, internationalisation, comprehensive sustainability and employability.
Photo: Toni Bofill.