The Composer

The Spanish composer Cristóbal Halffter Jiménez-Encina, born 24 March 1930 in Madrid, is the nephew of two other composers, Rodolfo and Ernesto Halffter.

In 1936, Halffter's family moved to Velbert, Germany, to escape the Spanish Civil War, but they returned to Madrid in 1939, and Halffter studied with Conrado del Campo at the Madrid Royal Conservatory, graduating in 1951. Outside of his university education, he studied with Alexandrea Tansman and André Jolivet. In 1955, he was appointed conductor of the Falla orchestra. He forged a successful career as composer and conductor, writing music which combined a traditional Spanish element with avant-garde techniques. His Piano Concerto [...]