Artists
Luis De Pablo (Composer)
1930 - Born at Bilbao on 28th January.
1938 - First musical studies at Fuenterrabía (Guipúzcoa).
1952 - Completes the study of law at the University of Madrid, and continues to study music privately.
1953 - First serial sketches. Coral for seven wind instruments.
1954 - Sonata for piano. Sinfonia for 17 brasses (first version). Begins work on Invenciones for orchestra.
1955 - Completes Invenciones.
1956 - Comentarios on two texts by Gerardo Diego for soprano and three instruments (from "Manual de espumas").
1957 - Movil I for two pianos.
1958 - Begins work on Movil II for one piano with two pianists. Joins the Madrid "Nueva Musica" group.
1959 - Founds the group "Tiempo y musica", which was responsible for the introduction of Spanish audiences to most contemporary chamber works by both Spanish and foreign composers. Joins the "Musica abierta" group in Barcelona.
1960 - Becomes president of the Spanish "Jeunesses Musicales". Composes Radial for twenty-four instruments. His works are now starting to be widely performed in many countries.
1961 - Libro para el Pianista, for piano. Polar, for eleven instruments. Glosa, for voice and four instruments on a text by Gongora ("Soledad Segunda"). Translates H.H. Stuckenschmidt´s book "Arnold Schoenberg". Starts travelling to France, Germany, Italy, etc. to introduce and present performances of his works.
1962 - Prosodia for six instruments. Condicionado for flute in G. Contract with Tonos (Darmstadt) and Modern (Munich) for the publication of his works. Begins the composition of Tombeau for orchestra.
1963 - Completes Tombeau. Final version of Sinfonias for seventeen brasses. Cesuras for six instruments. Reciproco for flute, piano and percussion. Translates the writings of Anton Webern. Travels to Mexico. Takes part in the International Congresses of the Jeunesses Musicales at Palma de Majorca. Founds a series of concerts called "Forum Musica" in which young Spanish composers can have their works performed. "Tiempo e musica" terminates its activity. Leaves the presidency of the Jeunesses Musicales.
1964 - Escena for mixed chorus, strings and percussion on a text by Rafael de la Vega. Begins to compose Modulos I for 11 instruments and Ejercicio (which later became Modulos IV) for string quartet. Becomes artistic organizer of the First Madrid Biennial of Contemporary Music. Invited to Poland by the Union of Polish Composers.
1965 - Completes composition of Modulus I. begins composition of Ein Wort for voice, piano, violin and clarinet on texts by Gottfried Benn. Sits on the jury of the International Composition Competition organized by the Lebanese Jeunesses Musicales. Trip to Venezuela. Represents Spain at the SIMC festival in Madrid. Founds "Alea", which carries on the activity of "Tiempo e Musica", and commissions works from Spanish and foreign composers. Founds the first Electronic Music laboratory to open in Spain.
1966 - Composes Iniciativas for orchestra. Modulus II for two orchestras. First works composed with IBM sorter 7090 of Madrid University´s Computer Centre. Joins the European Cultural Society.
1967 - Modulus III for 17 instruments. Completes Modulos IV and Movil II. Modulos V for organ. Imaginario I for three instruments. Imaginario II for orchestra. Begins Heterogeneo for orchestra, Hammond organ and two speakers. Trips to Cuba, Prague, Warsaw, etc. Invited to Berlin for a year by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Sits on the jury of the Royaumont Foundation competition (twice) and on the jury of the Paris Biennial. Represents Spain at the SIMC Festival in Prague. Exclus-ive contract with Editions Salabert (Paris). Awarded the popularity prize for music given by the Madrid daily, Pueblo.
1968 - Completes Heterogeneo. Begins Protocolo, for two voices, thirteen instruments and mute characters, Parafrasis on three motets by T.L. da Victoria, for chamber orchestra. Founds "Alea, Musica electronica libre", a group for the performance of "Live electronic music". Publishes the volume "Aproximación a una estética de la música contemporánea", a compendium of lectures held in 1964. 1969 - Completes Por Diversos Motivos for piano, voices and actors, which he had begun some time previously. Quasi una fantasia for string sextet and orchestra. Begins work on We, an electronic composition. Travels to Argentina, invited as a professor to the Torquato di Tella Institute to give courses in the analysis of his own works. Gives the same courses at Santa Fé. Represents Spain at the Hamburg SIMC festival. Wins the Grand Prix du Disque awarded by the Charles Cros Academy (France).
1970 - Completes We. Yo Lo Vi for twelve voices. Tamano Natural, an electro-acoustic opera. Comme d´Habitude, for piano. The "Semaines Internationales de Musique" of Paris dedicate six concerts to his music, and the Spanish television devotes an hour program to him.
1971 - Soledad Interrumpida, in collaboration with the mime J.L. Alexanco. La Libertad Sonrie for fifteen instruments ad lib. Oroitaldi for orchestra. Promenade sur 1 Corps for flute and percussion. Gives courses in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Cordoba, La Plata, etc. Appointed professor of analysis of contemporary music at the Conservatory of Madrid.
1972 - Historia Natural, in collaboration with the mime J.L. Alexanco. Je mange, tu manges for chamber orchestra and recorded tape. Elephants Ivres I and II respectively for orchestra and instruments. Appointed co-director, with J.L. Alexanco, of the "Encuentros de arte" at Pamplona. Makes a film with Alexanco, entitled "138". Sits on the jury of the international SIMC composition competition. The Belgian Television dedicates an hour program to him.
1973 - Elephants Ivres III and IV for orchestra. Vielleicht for six percussionists. Le Prie-Dieu sur la Terrasse for one percussionist, Masques, a "show" for four performers. Affettuoso for piano. Begins work on Very Gentle, for two voices and two performers. Appointed "visiting Slee professor" at Buffalo to analyze his own works. Gives a series of courses at Albany, New York, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. The French Government awards him the title of "Chevalier des arts e des lettres".
1974 - Completes the composition of Very Gentle. Solo un Paso, for flute and actor, Berceuse, for three flutes, two percussionists, Hammond organ, soprano and actor. Dejame Hablar, for eleven string instruments. Begins work on Homogeneo for 32 instruments. Al Son que Tocan (Homenaje a Antonio Machado) for eight instruments, voice and recorded tape. Appointed professor of contemporary music analysis at the Universities of Ottawa and Montreal. Contract with the Milanese publisher Suvini Zerboni for the publication of his works. Sits on the jury of the Gulbenkian composition competition in Lisbon. Visto de Cerca for three instrumentalists and recorded tape.
1975 - Portrait Imaginé for 12 voices, 18 instruments and recorded tape. Zurezko Olerkia for eight voices, four percussionists and txalaparta (a traditional Basque instrument). Again invited to Berlin for two months by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Concerts of his works are given in Madrid (Fondation J. March), Ottawa (Semaine Internationale de la Musique), etc.
1976 - Chaman for recorded tape. Credo for double wind quintet. A Modo de Concierto for percussion and instruments. Concerts of his works at Estoril, Las Vegas, Bonn, etc.
1977 - De Pablo completes Invitación a la Memoria; Lerro for solo flute, and begins writing Tinieblas del Agua for orchestra, commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture for the Metz Festival; Bajo el Sol for mixed 49-voice choir, on commission from the Cuenca Festival on texts from Ecclesiastes, Mateo Aleman and Byron; Ederki for soprano, contralto and two bongos on a text by Robertet; he begins writing Oculto for bass clarinet, commissioned by Harry Sparnaay. Many monographic concerts of his works are given and the Spanish National radio dedicates ten broadcasts to his music.
1978 - He completes Tinieblas del Agua, Oculto and Trio for strings (on commission from the European Radiobroadcasting Union), Pocket Zarzuela for mezzo soprano, flutes, clarinet, violin, cello and piano on texts by José Miguel Ullan; he gives courses and lectures on non-Western music for the Spanish National Radio and completes Latidos for chamber orchestra, commissioned by Radio France. Spanish national Radio commissions the Concerto for Piano and orchestra.
1979 - The Swedish Institute for Culture invites him to Stockholm for a two month residence. He completes the I Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and also writes a version of the piece for piano and 18 instruments entitled Concerto da Camera; he starts writing the II Concerto for Piano and Orchestra for strings and two percussionists as a tribute to Mompou, on commission from the Santander Festival; Cancion for soprano, oboe, trumpet, harp and celesta on texts by Juan Gil-Albert; he begins to compose the Opera Kiu on texts by Alfonso Vallejo taken from "El cero transparente"; Dibujos for flute, clarinet, violin and cello. Participates in the jury of the "Luigi Dallapiccola Composition Award", the "Mes-siaen Prize", and the Terni competition. He gives courses on Spanish music at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. He is awarded the Luigi Dallapiccola Prize in Barcellona for the totality of his oeuvre. José Luis Garcia del Busto gives seven lectures on the works of Luis de Pablo for the Spanish National Radio.
1980 - "Espasa Calpe" publishes a volume by José Luis Garcia del Busto about Luis de Pablo. On the occasion of his fiftieth birthday, various monographic works about him are published in Madrid, Bilbao, Paris, Lisbon, Oslo, Estoril, Montreal, Stockholm, Geneva, etc. Retratos de la Conquista for 32-voice choir on texts by B. Diaz del Castillo and missionaries of the Mexican conquest (on commission from the Lille Festival). Radio France dedicates 10 broadcasts to De Pablo; he begins working on Tornasol for 8 instruments and magnetic tape on commission from Ircam, Ofrenda for solo cello; Sonido de la Guerra for soprano, tenor, small female chorus and six instruments on texts by Vicente Aleixandre (on commission from the Spanish Red Cross). He serves on the jury of the ISCM competition in Ghent.
1981 - He completes Tornasol and writes Una Cantata Perdida for soprano, double bass and one percussionist on texts by Fernando Pessoa. He is appointed President of the Spanish section of the ISCM. He goes on tour in the United States.
1982 - He tours France with Tornasol. He is named artistic advisor for the Lille Festival. On commission from the City of Valladolid, he writes El Manantial for soprano, 2 violins, celesta, harp and flute on texts by Jorge Guillén; Cuaderno, five piano pieces (commissioned by pianist Yvar Mikhassoff) (pieces II and IV become Dos Improvisaciones for harpsichord); he begins work on Viatges I Flors for voice and orchestra on texts by Mercè Rodoreda; records of Portrait Imaginé, Sonido de la Guerra and Invitación a la memoria win the award assigned by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. He gives courses at the Granada Festival, and serves on the jury of the competition held by the Friends of the Organ of Saint Rémy de Provence. The publisher Taurus is preparing to issue a book-symposium dedi- cated to Luis de Pablo. He completes Ofrenda. He completes the composition of the Opera Kiu.
1983 - Begins work on the harpsichord version of his Secondo Concerto for piano and orchestra. The Spanish Red Cross honors him with the "Golden Cross". In Brescia he sits on the jury of the "Karlheinz Stock-hausen" Competition for a piano work. Composes Saturno for two percussionists, commissioned by Radio France, Malinche for soprano and piano with percussion and magnetic tape, Adagio for orchestra, commissioned by NOS (the Dutch Radio) and the Spanish National Radio. Begins composing Cinco Meditaciones for 15 instruments (on commission from the "Quincena Musical di San Sebastian"), gives a course on electronic and computer music at the Festival of Granada and the Vitoria Conservatory; in November and December he tours United States. The Spanish Ministry of Culture invites him to head the Center for the Propagation of Contemporary Music.
1984 - Completes "J.H." for clarinet and cello. Invited to Gerona for a conference on the topic "What is Spain?". Gives lectures on his own music at Alicante. Completes the Cinco Meditaciones; composes Dos Epigramas de Marcial for two female voices (dedicated to Goffredo Petrassi); sits on the jury of the Bourges Competition for electronic music. Invited to be a member of the commission to plan the construction of the Opera at the Bastille in Paris. Composes Kiu, fragments for violin and piano (commissioned by the Weilerstein duo). Completes the final version of We at the Cuenca electronic music laboratory. Monographic concerts of his music are held at Lisbon, Madrid and Paris. As representative for the Arts, he takes part in the Seminar on "Spanish Culture and the XXI Century" held at Salamanca. Begins work on his second opera, El Viajero Indiscreto, to a libretto by Vicente Molina Foix.
1985 - Completes Viatges I Flors, commissioned by Europalia-Espania (Belgium); he also composes Serenata for band and mixed choir, on commission from the French region of Nord-Pas de Calais. On commission from the Groupe Vocal de France, he writes Como Moises es el Viejo, for twelve mixed voices, to a text of the same title by Vicente Aleixandre. Begins work on Tarde de Poetas for soprano, baritone, twelve voices and eighteen instruments, commissioned for the European Musical Year by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Definitively orchestrates Gustav Mahler´s Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz. Begins work on Fragmento for string quartet, commissioned by the Arditti Quartet. Sits on the Jury of the Premio Europeo di Composizione, in Rome. Monographic concerts of his music and lectures are held in Bordeaux, Madrid and Lisbon.
1986 - Finishes Tarde de Poetas and writes a flute and piano version of Cuatro Fragmentos de Kiu; completes Fragmento. Holds courses and lectures on his work as a composer at Villafranca del Bierzo, the French Institute and the Fondation J. March of Madrid. Invited by the Danish government to attend a meeting of artists in Copenhagen. Awarded the Médaille d´Officier de l`Ordre des Ars et des Lettres, by the French government, and the Gold Medal of King of Spain for merit in the Fine Arts, in music. Goes on several tours with his works Vielleicht, Viatges I Flors, Dibujos and Fragmento. Monographic concerts in various cities including Madrid, London and Paris.
1987 - Toy Piano, the first piece of Retratos y transcripciones for piano, was published. De Pablo was invited by the Japan Foundation to visit Japan as a guest of the government, and the Suntory Hall Foundation of Tokyo commissioned an orchestral work, which was to be Senderos del aire, composed that same year. De Pablo also wrote Adagio, Cadenza, Allegro spiritoso for oboe and string orchestra, followed by Fiesta for six percussionists and string orchestra on commission from the town of Rennes. Monographic concerts of de Pablo´s works were held in Bergen, Paris, Lisbon and other cities. The Swedish musicologist Hans Astrand began work on a book about de Pablo´s music.
1988 - De Pablo was awarded the civic medal of the town of Rennes. He completed El viajero indiscreto, as well as a new version of Fiesta for six percussionists, Une couleur... for saxophones and orchestra, and Com un epileg, for male choir and orchestra, set to texts by Pere Gimferrer. He travelled to Japan for lectures and monographic concerts, and was elected a corresponding member of the Academia de Bellas Artes of Granada. He also composed Il violino spagnolo for solo violin and sketched out a first draft of Figura en el mar for flute and orchestra, on commission from the French Ministry of Culture. The Belgian musicologist Piet De Volder begins to write a long essay on his music.
1989 - He was elected to the San Fernando Academia de Bellas Artes in Madrid and gave a lecture entitled "The voice in my music" at the National Music Auditorium of Madrid, on invitation from the Spanish Ministry of Culture. He wrote Amable sombra for two pianos and Compostela for violin and cello, and began work on Metaforas for string quartet and piano, a commission from the Albeniz Foundation. At the same time he supervised a series of five broadcasts of his music on Radio France, conducted by Christian Rosset, and delivered the inaugural lecture at the Madrid Conservatory for the opening of its academic year.
1990 - He completed Metaforas and composed Melisma furioso for solo flute as well as Impromptus for orchestra on commission from the Basque Orchestra, followed by Las orillas for orchestra, commissioned by the Canary Island Festival, and finally Sexteto for string sextet, commissioned by AIEC of Lille and Libro de imagenes for nine instruments, commissioned by the Holland Festival. He also began work on Sueños for piano and orchestra, on commission from the orchestra of Emilia Romagna. At the same time he gave lectures and classes and attended numerous monographic concerts in various cities, held in commemoration of his sixtieth birthday. These programmes included, among others, twelve broadcasts by Radio France conducted by Marc Texier, two concerts in London, one in Metz, and others in Bilbao, Paris, Barcelona, Mexico City, and elsewhere. A CD was released by ADDA, including Notturnino, Dibujos, Meditaciones, Concerto da camera, and Cuatro fragmentos de Kiu with the 2e2m ensemble, conducted by Paul Méfano. Montaigne released two CDs, one containing Fragmento (Arditti Quartet) and one including Il violino spagnolo (violin Irvine Arditti). The University of Metz dedicated a video cassette to Figura en el mar (Pierre Hornberger).
1991 - Two CDs were released by the "col legno" company, the first containing Las orillas performed by the Orchestra of Tenerife conducted by Victor Pablo, and the second with Senderos del aire (Tokyo Philharmonic conducted by Hiroyuki Iwaki), Melisma furioso (Pierre Yves Artaud) and Figura en el mar (Pierre Yves Artaud and the Lorraine Orchestra with Josep Pons); a CD of Coral, Dibujos, Imaginario I, Tornasol and Oculto, performed by the Grupo Circulo and José Luis Temes, was released by the Spanish Composers´ Society; Pocket Zarzuela came out on another CD issued by the Radio Nacional de España (Grupo Koan conducted by José Ramon Encinar). Libro de Imagenes, for chamber ensemble, was commissioned by the Holland Festival and performed during that festival by the Nieuw Ensemble; Suenos (Third Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) was commissioned by the A. Toscanini Symphony Orchestra of Emilia-Romagna and performed by that orchestra with Massimiliano Damerini under the baton of José Ramon Encinar; Antigua Fé, set to Aztec and Maya texts (in a XVII-century Spanish translation) for soprano and orchestra, was commissioned by the "Comision Madrid, capital europea de la Cultura 1992". De Pablo completed Sueños. De Pablo´s work is performed at the Holland Festival, and monographic concerts were held at the Venice Biennale and in Cremona, Marseille, Toulon, Tokyo, Barcelona and other cities. The composer teaches a graduate course at the Madrid Conservatory, and was awarded the National Prize for music.
1992 - World première of Antigua Fé by the Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid, with soprano Pilar Jurado and the Thomas Cooke Choir conducted by Luca Pfaff; Fabula for guitar; Monologo for solo viola; final revision of Retratos y transcripciones, first series, for piano; Paraiso y tres danzas macabras for 12 instruments. De Pablo teaches a course in composition at the Fondation Royaumont. The Venice Biennale and the Spanish Ministry of Culture commission La madre invita a comer, an opera in one act and five scenes to a libretto by Vicente Molina Foix; a CD was released with Sexteto for string sextet, performed by the Sextet of the Lille AIEC; De Pablo gave courses and concerts in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and elsewhere), Mexico and France (Paris); the Fondation Royaumont commission Variaciones de Leon for six mixed voices set to lyrics by Vicente Molina Foix; the "Nuove Sincronie" Association of Milan commissions Segunda lectura for 10 instruments. De la America preterita, a Cantata for soprano, two speaking voices and orchestra is commissioned by the Instituto de Cooperacion Iberoamericana. is performed by the London Sinfonietta at the Festival Pontino in Latina and released on CD in a performance by the Ensemble del Teatre Lliure conducted by Josep Pons, for the Stradivarius label. Another CD comes out on the same label, containing Metaforas, Segunda lectura and Libro de imagenes. In London, Nicholas Unwin performed Retratos y transcripciones. De Pablo begins working on Ritornello for eight cellos, commissioned by the C.D.M.C. for the "Conjunto Iberico de Violoncellos" and on Umori for wind quintet, for the Arnold Quintet.
1993 - De Pablo completes Ritornello, Umori and Variaciones de Leon; his opera KIU is revived at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid. He sits on the Jury of the "Reine Elisabeth de Belgique" competition. Caligrafia Serena is performed by the Arditti Quartet, Umori by the Arnold Quintet and Ritornello by the Conjunto Iberico de violonchelos (and recorded for CD) at the Santander Festival. The opera La madre invita a comer is performed at the Venice Biennale; Trio for violin, cello and piano is performed and recorded on CD by the Trio Matisse. At Royaumont, "Les jeunes solistes" (Rachid Safir) perform Variaciones de Leon. De Pablo receives a commission to compose Eros for cello, piano and small ensemble.
1994 - A CD is released by the "Grupo LIM", with Dibujos, Soirée, Trio per archi, Pardon and Monologo. De Pablo contributes one of the many tributes presented to Goffredo Petrassi on his 90th birthday and is invited to reside for two years at the Academia Española in Rome, where he composes Cape Cod, commissioned by the C.D.M.C. for the Alicante Festival and set to a text by George Santayana. He begins work on Romancero for 12 mixed voices, set to early Spanish poems (el Romancero viejo), on commission from the Spanish Ministry of Culture; Eros is premièred at the Fundacao Gulbenkian of Lisbon by Marisella De Carli, Jacopo Scalfi and the Ensemble 2e2m conducted by Paul Méfano; Nonetto is composed on commission from Radio France and the Opera of Massy as an obligatory work for the young conductors´ competition. De Pablo begins elaborating his first ideas for the opera La señorita Cristina and begins work on his third quartet, commissioned by the Sociedad Filarmonica de Bilbao for the centenary of its foundation.
1995 - Monos y liebres for bass clarinet and marimba is composed on commission from the "Duo Contemporain"; he completes Romancero, which is performed at the Venice Biennale by "Les jeunes solistes" and Rachid Safir; Nonetto is premièred by the competition finalists. De Pablo gives courses in Milan, Paris and elsewhere and composes Ex-voto for violin and viola on commission from the Academia de Bellas Artes of Madrid, in commemoration of its 250th anniversary. The work is performed by Augustin Leon Ara and Emilio Mateu. A CD is released by the magazine Sibila and Radio Nacional de España, containing Comentarios a dos textos de Gerardo Diego, Pocket Zarzuela, Sonido de la guerra, El Manantial, Cape Cod, Vendaval (commissioned by the city of Bologna´s "2 agosto"). De Pablo gives a course on his own music at the Granada Festival, and monographic concerts are performed at Perpignano, London, Paris, and Madrid. Treboles for orchestra is written on commission from the City of Valladolid, and Ouverture à la francaise for flute and saxophone, is commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture. Rostro for chamber orchestra was the obligatory piece for the young conductors´ competition at the Festival de Cadaqués.
1996 - De Pablo completes Flessuoso, his third string quartet, commissioned by the Bilbao Philharmonic; Relampagos for tenor and orchestra is composed at the request of Aldo Ceccato who conducts it in Madrid with Janos Bandi and the Spanish radio-television Orchestra. De Pablo begins work on a Concerto for violin and orchestra, commissioned by the Orquesta Nacional de España; his music is performed in several monographic concerts in Brussels, Madrid and elsewhere; "Harmonia Mundi" releases Tarde de poetas on CD with Luisa Castellani, Georges Chaminé, the Chamber Chorus of Valencia and the Orchestra of the Lliure Theater conducted by Josep Pons. De Pablo composes the second series of Retratos y transcripciones for piano; Treboles is given its world première by the Orquesta de Castilla-Leon, conducted by José De Eusebio; world première of Rostro at the Cadaqués Festival.
1997 - De Pablo sits on the juries of several competitions at Amiens, Siena and elsewhere, and on the jury of the "Reine Elisabeth de Belgique" competition for the third time. His manuscripts are purchased by the Goffredo Petrassi Archives at the University of Latina; monographic concerts are performed in France, Italy and Holland; he completes his Concerto for violin and orchestra and composes Soliloquio for flute, on commission from Roberto Fabbriciani. He is named "Doctor Honoris Causa" by the Universidad Complutense of Madrid; "Stradivarius" releases a CD with Fabula, performed by Gabriel Estarellas; he receives a commission from the Teatro Real of Madrid for the opera La señorita Cristina; he gives courses in the Czech Republic, at Reims and elsewhere and writes Un dia tan solo for flute and clarinet in B flat, dedicated to Franco Donatoni for his 70th birthday and premièred at the Festival Pontino.
1998 - He composes Trimalchio for bassoon and horn, as a tribute to Bruno Maderna, and works on La señorita Cristina. He also receives a commission for a Quintet for clarinet and strings; writes Corola, for four saxophones, piano and timpani. The final version of Portrait imaginé is premiered at the Festival of Segovia; world premiere of Corola (London) and Trimalchio (Châteauroux). He completes the Quintet for clarinet and string quartet.
1999 - Composer in residence at the Conservatoire of Strasbourg; the Ministère de la Culture Française commissions him Puntos de amor for clarinet and soprano, on texts by S. Juan de la Cruz, for the Ensemble Accroche Note; Quintet for clarinet and string quartet is premiered. He completes his opera La Señorita Cristina, which is staged at the Teatro Real in Madrid, February 2001. The Festival "Musica" of Strasbourg pays homage to his oeuvre with the performance of more than twelve works. The Archdiocese of Milan commissions him Tre frammenti sacri, for mixed choir, two trumpets and trombone. Final version of Polar. He travels to Argentina (Buenos Aires, Santa Fé, Rosario) where the "Trio Arbós" performs various monographic concerts. The Ensemble "Musicatreize" commissions him Carta cerrada for twelve mixed voices. Radio France commissions him a Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra. Final version and premiere of Al son que tocan, commissioned by the Festival of Soria.
2000 - He completes Carta cerrada and Al son que tocan. The Spanish National Orchestra commissions him an opera on the nativity, based on the text by Vincente Aleixandre La Navidad preferida, to be performed at Christmas 2000. He sits on the jury of the "Giovanni Belli" prize (chamber opera, Spoleto Recording of Tréboles, etc...; many composers write works to celebrate his seventieth birthday: Aldo Clementi, Francesco Pennisi, Henri Pousseur, Jo Kondo, Jesús Rueda, David del Puerto, César Camarero, among others. Epistola al transeunte, commissioned by the Ensemble Alternance. Second version of Canción (clarinet, pianoforte, soprano) on commission from the Ensemble Accroche Note; two versions of fugues from "Die Kunst der Fuge": Solo-Kunst for solo clarinet and Bach 1626, superimposition of J.S. Bach and Francisco Correa de Arauxo (project coordinated by Luciano Berio). De Pablo starts writing Concertino for four hands piano, strings and timpani, on commission from Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos within the Festival Estío Burgalés. Various concerts and events are organised on the occasion of his seventieth birthday.
2001 - La señorita Cristina, his fourth opera, is premiered at the Teatro Real in Madrid (libretto by the composer based on the novel with the same title by Mircea Eliade). He composes Retratos y Transcripciones, third series, for piano, on commission from the Festival of Normandy; completes Fantasías, concerto for guitar and orchestra; Tres piezas académicas, for solo violin; La Patum, for chamber orchestra, commissioned for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Teatre Lliure of Barcellona. Leggero-Pesante, for piano, commissioned by the Concurso de Piano of Jaén as compulsory repertoire; Frondoso misterio, concerto for cello and orchestra, commissioned on the occasion of the centenary anniversary of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra. The Institut National
de l´Audiovisuel (INA), France, dedicates him a week of interviews, (coordinated by Bruno Serro) for the French television. Various recordings are released. He completes ...Eleison, for eight cellos, on commission from the Octeto Ibérico of Elias Arizcuren.
2002 - Courses and seminars with students in France, Italy and Belgium. The Orchestra Filamonica della Scala of Milan commissions him Chiave di basso for orchestra. The RAI National Symphony Orchestra (Turin) commissions him Casi un espejo for orchestra; while Los Novisimos for male choir and orchestra is commissioed by The Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid. He is elected president of jury of many competitions: contemporary piano (Orléans), chamber opera (Spoleto), string quartet (Bertinoro, Forlì), etc.; honorary president of the Plural Ensemble and the Proyecto Guerrero.
2003 - Premieres of Frondoso Misterio (Concerto for cello and orchestra), Los Novisimos, Fantasías, Rumia (for saxophone quartet), Fandango (for saxophone quartet - transcription of "Fandango" from Ch.W. Gluck´s ballet "Don Giovanni"). He participates to a seminar at "Domaine Forget" (Canada) in collaboration with a group of composers. Nouvel Ensemble Moderne of Montréal commissions him Razón dormida for 15 instrumentis. He completes the fourth series Retratos y Transcripciones, for pianoforte. He is awarded the Honegger Prize from the Fondation de France for his oeuvre. He becomes member of the Academy of Fine Arts of Belgium, taking Luciano Berio´s place. He receives the commission for three short pieces (Fragmenta Psalmorum) for boys´ choir (for the competition "Maîtrises de Cathédrales", Amiens, France).
2004 - He completes Casi un espejo, commissioned by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra (Turin). He writes Voluntad de Flores for string quartet, in commeration of Charles-André Linale, Quartetto Orpheus´s violin. Proyecto Guerrero commissiones him an opera for his seventy-fifth borthday: Sombrío, for marimba and ensemble. He is awarded the "Premio de Música Fundación Guerrero" from the Fundación Jacinto and Inocencio Guerrero for his oeuvre; Frondoso Misterio (Concerto for cello and orchestra) receives the prize in the competition "Prince Pierre de Monaco". He is composer in residence at the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España, where he gives workshops on Las Orillas for orchestra. Various recordings are released. He sits on the jury of the "Rodolfo Halffter" Composition Prize (Mexico). He writes Acrobacias, two easy pieces for young pianists.
2005 - Finishes the composition of ...Con alcune licenze. The Joven Orquesta Nacional de España invites him to take part in a tour to collaborate in performances of Vendaval and Metaforas. There follows a tour of the Basque Countries by the Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid conducted by José Ramón Encinar, with performances of Vendaval; the work is recorded in preparation for producing a Cd. Broadcast by the Radio Nacional de España to celebrate his 75th birthday. First performance of Casi un espejo in the Auditorium Rai in Turin with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai conducted by Juanio Mena. Première at the Biennale di Venezia of his fifth opera, Un parque, on a text by Yukio Mishima translated into Spanish by the composer, commissioned by the Biennale di Venezia and the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Completes the Segundo Trio for violin, cello and piano, a commission of the Fundación "El Monte" in Seville. Various concerts dedicated to his music to celebrate his 75th birthday (Festival Pontino, Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, etc.). Nominated honourary member of the Asociación Intérpretes Españoles (A.I.E.). The Centro para la Difusión de la Musica Contemporanea in Madrid commissions a work for viola sola (for Maurizio Barbetti), which will be called Anatomias. The Festival Pontino commissions Circe de España on a text by José Miguel Ullán. The Festival de Granada commissions a work for orchestra that will be called Natura. A Cd is issued featuring Umori and Segunda Lectura played by the "Solistas de Sevilla".
2006 - Starts composing Natura on commission by the Festival de Granada for the Orchestre de Paris. Conference and monographic concert in Bern (Le Prie-Dieu sur la terrasse, Malinche). Tour in Rome and Naples with the Trio Arbós (Trio for violin, cello and piano; Federico Mompou in memoriam). Several concerts dedicated to him during the Festival of Molina de Segura (Murcia, Spain). First performance in Spain of the chamber work Un parque at the Teatro Albéniz in Madrid. First performance in Madrid of ...Con alcune licenze, commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture, with the Plural Ensemble directed by Fabián Panisello. Performance of Circe de España, on a text of José Miguel Ullán, in Sermoneta during the Festival Pontino. The Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai di Torino commissions Passio, for baritone, countertenor, male choir and large orchestra on texts by Primo Levi. The Orchestra of Euskadi commissions the concerto for harp and orchestra Danzas Secretas. The Institut National de l´Audiovisuel (INA) in Paris publishes on-line in its website an interview with the composer covering his whole career retrospectively.
2007 - Finishes composing Anatomias commissioned by the Centro para la Difusión de la Musica Contemporanea in Madrid for the soloist Maurizio Barbetti. Writes Bok for bass clarinet dedicated to Henri Bok. The Festival des Cathédrales de Picardie commissions Martinus for reciting voice, baritone, children´s choir, mixed choir and chamber orchestra, on texts by Sulpizio Severo. Writes ¡Oh! for piano to celebrate Mario Bortolotto´s 80th birthday. First performance of Natura in the Salle Pleyel in Paris and Passio at the Auditorium Rai in Turin. The Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid publishes a Dvd about his life and work. Starts composing the Danzas secretas, a concerto for harp and orchestra. Arranges an orchestral version for fifteen instruments of Debussy´s Lindaraja from the original for two pianos. The Fondazione Spinola Banna per l´Arte asks him take part in the selection of two young composers invited to write a trio for violin, cello and piano under his supervision. Nominated member of the Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia in Rome.
2008 - The Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia commissions A la memoria de.... Writes Tres de dos, on texts by José Miguel Ullán, for mezzo-soprano, violin, cello and piano. The Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga dedicate their annual festival of contemporary music to him and, for the occasion, publish a book edited by José Luis García del Busto and a Cd of his complete concertos for piano and orchestra played by Massimiliano Damerini and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga conducted by José Ramón Encinar. First performance of the Danzas secretas in Bilbao with Frédérique Cambreling and the Orquesta de Euskadi conducted by Arturo Tamayo; the same orchestra record a monographic Cd also including the concerto for cello, Frondoso misterio. The Accademia di Spagna in Rome invites him to be composer in residence for two months. Writes Co le tromme in bocca, a small piece for orchestra to celebrate the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga. Awarded a silver medal by the Conservatorio in Seville. The group Sax Ensemble records a Cd with his complete works for saxophone and with saxophone. The Musikene Sinfonietta records a Cd with Lindaraja and La Patum. The Orquesta de Euskadi commissions a concerto for organ and orchestra.
Characterizing Luis de Pablo as one of today´s leading Spanish composers requires more space than this short introduction, but one fact deserves repeating in all contexts: of his "listed" compositions, now numbering well over one hundred, roughly three quarters have been given their world première outside Spain! This has been the case ever since the now distant times of Darmstadt (in the 60s), where Bruno Maderna and Pierre Boulez premièred Polar and Módulos respectively, and their spatial distribution has extended to the Americas and Japan.
The reasons for this worldwide acclaim are manifold, one vital factor being, no doubt, the quality of the music so prolifically composed in all genres and modes, always ahead of contemporary developments and integrated into a remarkably personal idiom. Another striking aspect is the universality of De Pablo´s techniques and content, mirroring his profound knowledge, acquired through vo-racious reading, of all the fine arts, the history of all times and cultures, anthropology, ethnomusicology. His compositions, as well as his extensive lectures and writings, exhibit encyclopedic knowledge of the world´s musical cultures through the ages. This basically self-taught background (if we exclude a law degree from University of Madrid), explains why Luis de Pablo can offer a full panorama of this century´s musical landscapes, from chamber works for groups of individuals to the grand opera stage (where his two recent full-length operas have justifiably captivated audiences), but also why he is the mentor of so many younger generations, from his years in Buffalo and Ottawa to the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, with numerous courses and a flood of writings including, above all, the Aproximación a una estética de la música contemporánea, a treatise on his compositional language published in 1968. Luis de Pablo is married to the well-known painter Marta Cárdenas.
