Isaac Albéniz

Isaac Albéniz i Pascual (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈsak alˈβeniθ]) (May 29, 1860 – May 18, 1909) was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music. Born in Camprodon, Albéniz was a child prodigy who first performed at the age of four. At age seven he passed the entrance examination for piano at the Paris Conservatoire, but he was refused admission because he was believed to be too young. By the time he h... more

Isaac Albéniz i Pascual (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈsak alˈβeniθ]) (May 29, 1860 – May 18, 1909) was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music. Born in Camprodon, Albéniz was a child prodigy who first performed at the age of four. At age seven he passed the entrance examination for piano at the Paris Conservatoire, but he was refused admission because he was believed to be too young. By the time he had reached 12, he had made many attempts to run away from home. At the age of 12 he stowed away in a ship bound for Buenos Aires. He then made his way via Cuba to the United States, giving concerts in New York and San Francisco and then travelled to Liverpool, London and Leipzig. By age 15, he had already given concerts worldwide. After a short stay at the Leipzig Conservatory, in 1876 he went to study in Brussels. In 1880, he went to Budapest to study with Franz Liszt, only to find out that Liszt was in Weimar, Germany. In 1883, he met the... less