Role

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Composer

Birth

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1985 in Valencia, Spain

 

Francisco Coll is a Spanish composer who was born on October 27, 1985, in Valencia, Spain. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a composer and his mother a pianist. Coll started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the guitar and the clarinet. He also showed an interest in composition from an early age and began writing music when he was just 12 years old. Coll studied composition at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo in Valencia and later at the Royal College of Music in London. He also attended masterclasses with renowned composers such as Magnus Lindberg, George Benjamin, and Salvatore Sciarrino. Coll’s music has been performed by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Coll’s music is characterized by its intricate textures, rich harmonies, and use of extended techniques. He often draws inspiration from literature, art, and nature, and his works often explore themes of memory, identity, and transformation. Some of his most notable works include “Mural,” a large-scale orchestral work that was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and premiered in 2012, and “Hidd’n Blue,” a chamber work for clarinet, cello, and piano that was commissioned by the BBC and premiered in 2015. In addition to his work as a composer, Coll is also a professor of composition at the Royal College of Music in London. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition in 2019. Coll’s early works, written while he was still a student, show a strong influence from the music of his father, the composer Benet Casablancas. For example, his “Three Miniatures for Piano” (1999) and “String Quartet No. 1” (2002) both feature dense, chromatic harmonies and intricate counterpoint. However, as Coll’s style developed, he began to incorporate a wider range of influences into his music, including jazz, rock, and electronic music. One of Coll’s most significant early works is his “Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra” (2007), which was written for the clarinetist Joan Enric Lluna. The piece is divided into three movements, each of which explores a different aspect of the clarinet’s sound and technique. The first movement is characterized by its virtuosic runs and trills, while the second movement features a hauntingly beautiful melody played by the clarinet over a shimmering orchestral backdrop. The final movement is a lively dance that showcases the clarinet’s agility and rhythmic flexibility. Another notable work from this period is “Mural” (2012), which was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and premiered under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. The piece is scored for a large orchestra and features a complex, multi-layered texture that is built up over the course of the work. The title of the piece refers to the murals of the Mexican artist Diego Rivera, and the music is intended to evoke the vibrant colors and bold shapes of Rivera’s work. Coll’s more recent works show a continued evolution of his style, with a greater emphasis on timbre and texture. For example, his “Hidd’n Blue” (2015) is a chamber work for clarinet, cello, and piano that explores the subtle nuances of these instruments’ sounds.

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