Jesus Garcia Leoz

García Leoz studied piano in Madrid under José Balsa and composition under Conrado del Campo and Joaquín Turina. He was an outstanding pianist and spent several years in America on performing tours.

For just over ten years, García Leoz was successful as a composer for cinema soundtracks, to such an extent that, apart from the many famous films which incorporate his music, he has also received numerous prizes from the Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos (Association of Cinema Authors) and won the Spanish National Music Prize.

His name is linked to cinema productions such as Botón de ancla, Un hombre va por el camino, Balarrasa and Welcome, Mr. Marshall. He was also the author of many songs such as Tríptico, and others based on poems by Paredes, Rosalía de Castro, Antonio Machado and Gerardo Diego.

In the fifteen months preceding his death, García Leoz composed and published his main works: the Sonatina, the Sinfonía, the cuarteto con piano, the Canciones based on poems by Antonio Machado, as well as in the genre of zarzuela which inspired significant contributions in La alegre alcaldesa, La duquesa del Candil, and Primavera en el portal (Spring in the Stable). When he died, he was in the process of composing an opera, Barataria, with text by Mur Oti. The first act of this opera was performed posthumously as a concert work.

UME/SGAE (Diccionario de la música española e hispanoamericana)