Luis Tabuenca Fernández wins the XLIII Reina Sofía Prize for Musical Composition
The jury, composed of the new Artistic Director of the Fundació Ferrer de Música, Raquel García Tomás; the previous edition’s winner, Josep Planells Schiaffino; and fellow composers José Río-Pareja, Outi Tarkiainen, and Vasco Mendonça as president, has decided to award the XLIII Reina Sofía Prize for Musical Composition to the work Rémanence by Luis Tabuenca Fernández
The decision was reached after two intense days of deliberation, during which the 78 scores submitted to the competition were carefully examined. In the jury’s words, the work Rémanence was selected for its clarity of discourse, gestural richness, and effective use of orchestral forces.
The world premiere of Rémanence is scheduled for October 16, 2026, at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, to be performed for the first time by the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, with the expected presence of Her Majesty Queen Sofía.
Established in 1982, the Reina Sofía Prize for Musical Composition aims to encourage contemporary symphonic creation and to promote the professional careers of composers by facilitating the performance and dissemination of their works. With a prize of €100,000, it is the best-endowed award in Europe and enjoys great international prestige.
As part of the recognition, the winning composition will be incorporated into the repertoire of the Spanish National Youth Orchestra (JONDE), which will program it during its 2026–2027 tour.
About Luis Tabuenca Fernández
Luis Tabuenca (Zaragoza, 1979) is a composer and percussionist whose work explores the intersection of contemporary music, sound art, and interdisciplinary performance. He holds a PhD in Fine Arts (Sound Art) from the University of Barcelona and was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California San Diego. He has developed an international career spanning musical creation, stage projects, and multimedia work. His output includes solo works, chamber music, stage creations, and sound installations, and has been presented at festivals across Europe and the United States.
As an artist-in-residence, he has developed projects at institutions such as Fabra i Coats (Barcelona), Fundació Phonos, New York University, and the University of Canterbury. His music has been released on the Kairos, Mode Records, Aural Terrains, Verso, Sinkro, and Acheulian Handaxe Records labels, and he has collaborated with ensembles such as Les Percussions de Strasbourg. He is the founder and artistic director of Ensemble Volavérunt and was the founder and director of the International Festival of Experimental Music and Sound Art (FAT) from 2011 to 2017. He has given masterclasses and workshops at institutions including the Hochschule der Künste Bern, ESMUC (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya), the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid, and the National University of Colombia.
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