A composer and essayist, he is the author of 6 operas, 1 ballet, 10 symphonies and choral and chamber music in a range of formats. He has earned numerous accolades for his work, among them the Spanish national music prize for his body of work in 2002, the Madrid region music prize in 2003, the grand cross of 2nd May from the Madrid region, the gold medal of merit for fine arts in 2014 and the 14th Tomás Luis de Victoria Iberian-American music prize in 2016.
In the course of a decades-long career at the helm of musical institutions in Spain, he has been, among other things, general, technical and/or artistic director of the autonomous body responsible for the Spanish national orchestra and choir, the centre for the diffusion of contemporary music and the INAEM, as well as a director of the SGAE. Holder of an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, he is a member and current director of the San Fernando royal academy of fine arts. He has taught music at the Madrid Conservatory and been a music critic in different media, as well as writing several books and speaking at numerous institutions, courses, festivals and music, arts and science events in Spain and internationally.
Image © Carlos Díaz
