Maurice Ohana

Maurice Ohana was a gifted composer and pianist, who, after studying architecture and piano in Paris, left France for Barcelona to concentrate on his piano study. He then began touring Spain and England as a concert pianist. In 1937 he attended The Schola Cantorum to study counterpoint and pursue an interest in composition. He spent WWII in the British army and attended the Accademia di S Cecilia after the war. His group the 'Zodiaque' rejected formal schools of thought and instead embraced total artistic freedom. These beliefs are evident in his first major work, Llanto por Ignacio Sanchez Mejias, the work that brought him his initial fame. He is part of both the French and Spanish tradition and was greatly influenced by Debussy. He has explored new concepts of sound including the use of micro-intervals and unusual vocalizations to create a refined lyricism. ~ Lynn Vought