International Federation for Choral Music

The International Music Council is profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Jordi Roch i Bosch, a tireless advocate for music as a universal force for connection and understanding.

Dr. Roch served as President of the International Music Council from 1993 to 1997, bringing to this role decades of experience in building bridges between young musicians and audiences across the world. His leadership helped advance the IMC’s mission to promote music as an essential component of cultural life and human development.

Throughout his remarkable life, Dr. Roch was a builder of institutions and a champion of artistic excellence. He was instrumental in the founding of the Barcelona International Music Festival in 1963 and served as President of Jeunesses Musicales Internationalfrom 1983 to 1992, later being named JMI Honorary President. His leadership within Juventudes Musicales de España helped shape Spain’s musical landscape for generations.

Perhaps most beloved was his role as founder and guiding spirit of the Schubertíada de Vilabertran, a festival that became a cherished ritual for lovers of song and chamber music. There, in a small village in Alt Empordà each August, Dr. Roch created a sanctuary where emerging artists and established performers alike could share the intimate beauty of the lied tradition. His keen eye for talent helped launch international careers, and his passion for music inspired all who attended.

A practicing physician who never separated his medical calling from his cultural mission, Dr. Roch understood that music heals, connects, and transforms. He remained an active presence at concerts into his tenth decade, his enthusiasm and curiosity undiminished.

The International Music Council extends its deepest condolences to Dr. Roch’s family, friends, and the communities of Juventudes Musicales de España and the Schubertíada. His legacy lives on in every festival that brings people together, every young artist given a platform, and every moment when music transcends boundaries, precisely the world he worked his entire life to create.

Dr. Jordi Roch was also Instrumental in the opening of the first IFCM office in Altea, Spain in 1999.