Alicia de Larrocha, (Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle), Spanish pianist (born May 23, 1923, Barcelona, Spain—died Sept. 25, 2009, Barcelona), who was known for her elegant, focused, and subtle performances, especially of works by Mozart and by Spanish composers.
Her appearance onstage was often remarked upon because the unassuming and unusually petite pianist (5 ft tall) at times played virtuosic repertory that demanded a large reach.
De Larrocha, whose mother and aunt had studied with composer and pianist Enrique Granados, began taking piano lessons at age three when, at her own insistence, Frank Marshall, director of the Academia Marshall, reluctantly accepted her as a pupil.
She performed works by J.S. Bach and Mozart at the International Exhibition in Barcelona in May 1929, made her first recording at age 9, and at age 11 was soloist in a Mozart concerto with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.
In 1955 she made her American orchestral debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and her recital debut in New York City. She returned to Spain in 1959 to succeed her mentor as director of the Academia Marshall.
De Larrocha toured annually from 1965 until her retirement in 2003
Here she is in a recording of the “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”:
