Xavier Montsalvatge

Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols (; 11 March 1912 – 7 May 2002) was a Spanish composer and music critic. He was one of the most influential figures in Catalan music during the latter half of the 20th century. Biography Life Montsalvatge was born in Girona, and studied violin and composition at the Barcelona Conservatory. His principal teachers were Lluís Maria Millet, Enric Morera, Jaume Pahissa, and Eduard Toldrà. After the Spanish Civil War, Montsalvatge began work as a music critic when he joined the weekly Destino in 1942, a publication he would eventually direct in 1968 and 1975. He wrote additionally for the daily La Vanguardia after 1962. Montsalvatge also returned to teach at his alma mater, becoming a lecturer in 1970, and then a professor of composition in 1978. In 1982 he served on the jury of the Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition. He was awarded Spain’s Premio Nacional de Música for composition in 1985. He died in Barcelona, aged 90, and was buried at the Sant Gervasi Cemetery Barcelona. Work Montsalvatge’s style evolved over several different phases. At the start of his career, he was strongly influenced by the twelve-tone technique and by Wagnerism,