Glòria Tello, councillor responsible for the Iturbi Prize, praises Coll’s career, winner of the 2022 ICMA Awards in the Orchestra and Contemporary Music CD categories

Valencian composer Francisco Coll has been chosen to compose the compulsory piece for the 22nd Iturbi International Piano Competition in Valencia, organised by the Provincial Council of Valencia to be held in 2023. The musician was chosen by an advisory committee made up of Ana Guijarro, Justo Romero, Carles Marín, Josu de Solaun, Emma Jiménez and Joaquín Achúcarro.

The councillor for the Iturbi Prize, Glòria Tello, praised the choice of the Valencian composer, “considered a leading figure on the international scene, with an unusual creative ability that is reflected in a fascinating structure and technique of the highest quality”. Tello announced that the composer will have to create a piece lasting between 7 and 10 minutes by September this year. This will be the piece that the contestants will be obliged to perform.

Francisco Coll studied at the Joaquín Rodrigo Conservatory of Music in Valencia and at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, where he was awarded the End of Degree Honours Prize. Since 2008, he has been studying composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) under Thomas Adès.

Francisco Coll was composer-in-residence at the Palau de la Música in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, and his latest distinctions include the ICMA Awards 2022, considered the most important classical music awards in Europe, in which Coll won two awards: the ‘Orchestra Award’ from the Luxembourg Philharmonic, and the Contemporary Music CD Award.

The composer Francisco Coll will premiere his composition Lilith on 25 May at the Palau de la Música, a concert that will also feature another work by Coll – Turia – a concerto for guitar performed by concert guitarist Jacob Kellermann.