A Spanish composer born February 6, 1954 in Madrid (Spain).
A guitarist by training, Francisco Luque studied at the Madrid Conservatory where he was a pupil of Rocio Herrero and Luis de Pablo. He then presented to the University of Paris VIII a thesis entitled ‘A harmony of today? Acoustic space, tone-colour and register in the context of instrumental music’.
His music is thus steeped in his investigations into sonorities and microtonality. He uses notably scordatura (an unusual tuning of a stringed instrument), glissandi, sounds on the borderline with noise, and he composes for instruments and groups that are out of the ordinary, including baroque and traditional instruments (Góngora for soprano, reciter, traverso, baroque guitar, theorbo and baroque cello, 1994; A Licio for baritone, mandolin, baroque guitar and theorbo, 1999; Alterno canto for solo bandurria and instrumental ensemble, 2004; Orient for Balinese percussion and string trio, 2006).
His decisive encounter with the poet José Angel Valente turned him towards a more vocal and literary output (Al dios del lugar for soprano and string sextet, 1993; Gemido for baritone, flute, viola and guitar, 1999; Espacio 2 for soprano and guitar, 2011).
An important part of his output, performed notably by Caroline Delume, is devoted to the guitar and plucked string instruments (Guitarfonia 4 for ten guitars, 1997; A Bias for guitar and electronics, 1998; L’oiseau rare for two guitars, 2000; Le vol des oiseaux for two guitars, 2016).
