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Francisco Lara Interview
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2004. © Copyright 2004-2008 David Bruce
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C:T talks to one of Spain's leading young composers Dr Francisco Lara.
Francisco won the prestigious Spanish Symphony Orchestra Association Composition Prize 2001, in which his orchestral piece Hopscotch
was performed by all 25 of the associaton orchestras and was a finalist at the Queen Elisabeth Composition Competition Brussels 2003 for Fractures for piano and orchestra.
He is currently writing a Violin Concerto for Miguel Borrego and the
Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, to be premiered in February 2005.
Tell us something about your backgound.
I started music as a guitarist and it was not until I started studying in London in 1991 that I decided to become a composer. I did a Master´s Course at the Royal College of Music and a PhD at King´s College under the supervision of Sir Harrison Birtwistle. I also studied conducting in London and finally got a job conducting a university orchestra in Spain. London was a real turning point in my view of music and composition. Studying there felt like being part of the history of music. That is something I quite miss here, back in Spain.
How did you start composing?
I got a place to study composition at the Royal College of Music having done virtually no composition at all and having had no performances. The situation in Spain was very stale at the time and I needed a change. London came as an incredible inspiration. I discovered lots of music and scores and went to many concerts. Then I realised that that was what I wanted to do.
Who are your favourite composers and why?
I like the madness of Schumann´s piano pieces that relates very much to the madness of Ligeti´s music. I am very fond of Birtwistle´s music, particularly his conception of time and the brutality of his statements. Magnus Lindberg is also one of my favourites.
What was your first success as a composer?
It was at a little concert at the Royal College of Music. It was a composers concert and it was the first time I had a piece played. My music was very primitive but some people seemed to see that I had potential, I was very surprised and very encouraged by that.
Interview by David Bruce © Copyright 2004-2008
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