Isaac Albéniz

Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909) was a Spanish pianist and composer who, alongside Granados and de Falla, transformed the landscape of Spanish music. A child prodigy, he gave his first public recital at age four and embarked on concert tours across Europe and the Americas before settling in Paris, where he studied with Vincent d'Indy and Paul Dukas.

His crowning achievement is Iberia (1905–1909), a suite of twelve piano pieces that captures the essence of Spain through brilliantly complex writing inspired by flamenco, Andalusian folk music, and the colours of the Spanish landscape. Technically demanding and harmonically daring, Iberia is considered one of the greatest piano works ever written and profoundly influenced Debussy, Ravel, and Messiaen.