Raquel García-Tomás
b. 1984
Spanish
Summary
Raquel García-Tomás (b. 1984) is a composer specialising in interdisciplinary creation who completed her Doctorate at the Royal College of Music.
In 2020, she received the National Award of Music (Spain) “for the interdisciplinary, innovative, and daring nature of a distinctive and unique compositional language.” Raquel has recently been awarded the National Culture Prize 2024 from the Government of Catalonia ‘for her excellence in musical composition, stemming from a solid education and aptitude for contemporary innovation that allow her to achieve a balance between sound and visual experimentation without losing the ability to move a broad audience.’
Her music has been performed in venues such as the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid, L'Auditori de Barcelona, Palau de la Música Catalana, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre), Philharmonie Luxembourg, Het Concertgebouw, Wiener Konzerthaus, Musikverein, Müpa Budapest, or the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, among others.
Highlighted premieres of this season have been Las constelaciones que más brillan, premiered at L’Auditori de Barcelona with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ludovic Morlot and followed by performances at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Konserthuset in Stockholm, and the string quartet à plein, premiered by the Cuarteto Quiroga at the Palau de la Música Catalana.
For the upcoming season, Raquel will be the composer-in-residence at the Real Filharmonía de Galicia. This will include the world premiere of her new work 'Ceci n’est pas un valse', conducted by Baldur Brönnimann, alongside other performances of her orchestral repertoire. Additionally, Raquel will be the featured composer at the Palau de la Música Catalana. Her music will be programmed in six concerts throughout the season, featuring works from her repertoire and two world premieres with renowned soloists such as Nicolas Altstaedt and Lorenza Borrani.
Critical Acclaim
García-Tomás’ work reflects her orchestral skills with highly idiomatic and evocative resources, along with an efficient management of tension and release derived from simple and natural materials. Her mystical and almost minimalist approach proved successful in conveying the message of a piece based on such a humble and existentialist substrate as mere admiration for the stars. — Platea Magazine
The proposal by García-Tomás with which the evening began contrasted strongly with the tone of sensuality and earthly warmth of the rest of the program. ‘Las constelaciones que más brillan’ is a remarkable and highly descriptive piece that conveys the sensation of coldness of the celestial vault thanks to a sharp and metallic sound contributed by the violins and percussion. [...] The prolific composer is skilled at creating evanescent atmospheres, and the volatility of this piece is evidence of that.” — Nuvol
Biography
Raquel García-Tomás is a composer specialising in interdisciplinary creation who completed her doctorate at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2020, she received the National Award of Music from the Government of Spain ‘for the interdisciplinary, innovative, and daring nature of a distinctive and unique compositional language.’ Raquel has recently been awarded the National Culture Prize 2024 from the Government of Catalonia ‘for her excellence in musical composition, stemming from a solid education and aptitude for contemporary innovation that allow her to achieve a balance between sound and visual experimentation without losing the ability to move a broad audience.’
Her music has been performed in venues such as the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid, L'Auditori de Barcelona, Palau de la Música Catalana, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre), Philharmonie Luxembourg, Het Concertgebouw, Wiener Konzerthaus, Musikverein, Müpa Budapest, or the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, among others. Her compositions have been included in festivals like the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Kunstfest Weimar, and the Lucerne Festival. Raquel has collaborated with ensembles such as the London Sinfonietta, the Oslo Sinfonietta, and the Phace Ensemble, among others.
Within the framework of operatic creation, she premiered disPLACE – II. Història d’una casa (text by H. Tornero and stage direction by P. Pawlik) at the Vienna festival MusikTheaterTage Wien, with further performances in Teatros del Canal within the season 2016/17 of the Teatro Real in Madrid. In 2019, she premiered the opera buffa Je Suis Narcissiste (libretto by H. Tornero and stage direction by M. Pazos), within the seasons of the Teatro Real, Teatro Español, and the Teatre Lliure in Barcelona. The International Opera Awards 2020 nominated this opera as Best World Premiere. In the 2022/23 season, her Alexina B. was premiered at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. This opera, received the Leonardo Grant from the BBVA Foundation and a nomination for Best World Premiere at the International Opera Awards 2023.
Highlighted premieres of this season include Las constelaciones que más brillan, premiered at L’Auditori de Barcelona with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ludovic Morlot and followed by performances at the Elbphilharmonie and the Konserthuset in Stockholm. The string quartet à plein, premiered by Cuarteto Quiroga at the Palau de la Música Catalana. And Ara sí que ets divina, premiered by OBC, conducted by Ludovic Morlot, on May 31, commemorating the 25th anniversary of L’Auditori de Barcelona.
In 2024-2025, Raquel will be the composer-in-residence at the Real Filharmonía de Galicia. This will include the world premiere of her new work 'Ceci n’est pas une valse,' conducted by Baldur Brönnimann, alongside other performances of her orchestral catalogue. Additionally, Raquel will be the featured composer at the Palau de la Música Catalana. Her music will be programmed in six concerts throughout the season, featuring works from her repertoire and two world premieres with renowned soloists such as Nicolas Altstaedt and Lorenza Borrani.
July 2024