She is a pianist born Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle in Barcelona, Spain.She started to study the piano when
she was three, performed her first concert when she was six and made her orchestral
debut when she was eleven.After starting to tour in the international arena when she was 24
she became acclaimed and in 1954 she gave a tour with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic throughout the United
States.While she was young she performed
mainly Mozart compositions but as she got older she championed Spanish and
Latin music and became known for her performances of works by composers
that include Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados and
Antonio Soler.She has
collaborated with artists and ensembles/orchestras that include Montserrat
Caballe, Federico Mompou, the Guarneri Quartet,
English Chamber Orchestra, City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra.She has received several
awards including the Principe de Asturias Award for the Arts, the Padarewski Memorial Medal, honorary doctorates from the
University of Michigan and Yale University, two Grand Prix du Disque and three Grammy Awards in 1975, 1989 and 1992
for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance.
