Alicia de Larrocha Lacalle was born in Barcelona in 1923. She began her career as a concert pianist in 1940, and in 1947 she began her tours of Europe and the United States.

In 1968 she was on the verge of seeing her musical career cut short when her thumb was injured in the door of a taxi, an injury which she managed to overcome a few months later.

Considered to be one of the greatest pianists of all time, she has, for many years, been performing approximately a hundred concerts all over the world each year.

She has important recordings to her credit, including among them the complete works for piano of Isaac Albéniz, along with works by Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla, Father Soler and many other composers, both Spanish and foreign. Alicia de Larrocha currently directs the Marshall Academy in Barcelona, founded by Enrique Granados.

She hold the title of "Best Artiste in the World" (1977) and the Gold Medal of the Spanish Institute of New York. Likewise, she has obtained the Harriet Cohen Foundation International Prize (196), the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (1985) and the National Music Prize.

In February 1989 she won the "Grammy" Award for the best Classical Instrumental Female Soloist, for her rendition of Albéniz´s "Cuadros de Iberia".

Likewise, in early 1991 she finished recording a record on which she played "Goyescas" -a piece in which, according to the critics, no-one equals her -"Allegro de Concierto" and "Danza Lenta", all by Granados. For this, on the 25th February, she was again awarded the "Grammy" for the best Classical Instrumental Solo Performance.