Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Spain

Birth

:

May 23, 1923 in Barcelona, Spain

Death

:

September 25, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Alicia de Larrocha was a Spanish classical pianist who was born on May 23, 1923, in Barcelona, Spain. She was born into a family of musicians, and her father was a pianist and a composer. Alicia showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of three. Her father was her first teacher, and she quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. At the age of six, Alicia gave her first public performance, and by the age of eight, she had already won her first competition. She continued to study music throughout her childhood and teenage years, and in 1947, she made her debut in Madrid, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. Throughout her career, Alicia de Larrocha became known for her interpretations of Spanish and Catalan music, as well as the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann. She was particularly renowned for her performances of the music of Isaac Albéniz, a Spanish composer whose works she championed throughout her career. One of the highlights of Alicia de Larrocha's career was her performance at the 1959 Edinburgh Festival, where she performed Albéniz's Iberia. The performance was a huge success, and it helped to establish her as one of the leading interpreters of Spanish music. Over the course of her career, Alicia de Larrocha performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. She also performed at many of the world's leading music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Ravinia Festival. In addition to her performances, Alicia de Larrocha was also a prolific recording artist. She recorded over 100 albums throughout her career, including many of the works of Albéniz, as well as the complete piano sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven. Alicia de Larrocha received many awards and honors throughout her career. In 1995, she was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, one of Spain's highest honors. She was also awarded the National Music Prize of Catalonia in 1986 and the Gold Medal of the Generalitat de Catalunya in 1997. Despite suffering from arthritis in her later years, Alicia de Larrocha continued to perform and record music until her retirement in 2003. She passed away on September 25, 2009, at the age of 86. Alicia de Larrocha's legacy as a pianist and interpreter of Spanish music continues to be celebrated today. Her recordings and performances remain popular with classical music fans around the world, and her influence on the interpretation of Spanish music is still felt today.

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