Enric Granados Campiña was born in July 27, 1867 in Lerida, his father was born in Cuba and was a member of the Military service. He began to study music at an early age. He studied piano in Barcelona with Joan Baptista Pujol. Pujol had studied with the Mallorcan pianist and student of Liszt Pere Tintorer. Pujol created what could be called the first Catalan piano tradition. Among his numerous students were Albeniz, Malats (teacher of Mompou) and Ricard Viñes. In 1887 he moved to Paris to study with Charles de Beriot. In Paris as well as continuing his friendships with Albeniz, Nin and Viñes, he came into direct contact with the most important French composers at the moment. Faure, Debussy, Ravel, Dukas, d’Indy, establishing a very close relationship with Camille Saint-Saëns. In 1889 he returned to Barcelona to begin his career as a performing virtuoso/composer. In 1892 the gave the first performance of Grieg’s piano concerto in Spain. During this time he performed many chamber music concerts with close friends such as, Pau Casals, Mathieu Crickboom, Jacques Thibaud, Emil von Sauer and Camille Saint-Saens. 1895-98 saw the premier of several of his stage works, Miel de Alcarria, Maria del Carmen along with various chamber works and pieces for piano.

In 1901 he founded the Granados Academy, that was to become the hallmark of teaching the art of playing the piano as understood by Granados. Granados and his wife Amparo drowned when the Sussex, the ship that they were on travelling from London to Barcelona (the last leg of their return trip from the successful premier of the opera Goyescas in New York) was torpedoed crossing the English Channel. Granados directed the Academy until his death, when it was taken over by his pupil and friend Frank Marshall. To solve inheritance problems after the sudden death of Granados, the decision was made by Marshall and the tutor of the Academy, Felipe Pedrell, to change the name to the Marshall Academy, those making Marshall the sole owner. Along with Albeniz and Falla he is often recognized as a nationalistic composer. Actually the term neo-romantic would be better as he developed a personal romantic style up until his time unknown in Spain. An expressive style influenced by Chopin, Schumann, Schubert and Grieg and the 18th century majas of Goya. He represents the romantic and poetic piano of 19th century Spain.