1. Education and Mentorship

A Catalan composer born to musician parents. He studied piano, organ, and violin from an early age. In 1887, he enrolled in the Municipal School of Music in Barcelona, where he studied cello with García and piano and composition with Rodoreda. In 1893, he received a scholarship from the Queen Regent and studied composition with Bretón and chamber music with Monasterio at the Madrid Conservatory. Subsequently, he also visited the Brussels Conservatory. His early works (masses, symphonic poems, string quartets) were recognized by the director of the conservatory, Gevaert, during his visit to Brussels. However, due to a disagreement with the cello professor, he gave up his scholarship and became the second cellist at a music hall in Paris.

2. Teaching Career

Upon returning to Barcelona in 1996, he took up a teaching position. Furthermore, in 1919, he was involved in the founding of the École Normale de Musique in Paris.

3. Activities Other Than Composition

As a cellist, he explored his own bowing and fingering techniques from an early stage. He made his debut in Barcelona in 1891. Around this time, he earned a living by performing in cafes, but after discovering J. S. Bach's Cello Suites, he began to seriously dedicate himself to the study of music. Albéniz, Count Morphy, private secretary to the Queen Regent, who was introduced through , was an ardent music lover and became Casals' patron. As a cellist, he also performed at music halls in Paris and the Liceu Theater in Barcelona. He also formed a piano trio, a string quartet, and the Pau Casals Orchestra, named after himself.

4. Retreat as a Musician

Casals' musical activities were significantly influenced by politics. To escape the pressure under the Franco regime, he moved to Prades, a Catalan-speaking French territory, in 1936. During World War II, he declined offers of asylum from the UK and US, and instead focused on performing and providing material support in Prades. Later, he decided to cease all public performances. However, he conducted masterclasses and made recordings at the 200th anniversary of Bach's death in Prades in 1950. This marked the beginning of his performances, as part of the peace movement, at venues such as the United Nations General Assembly Hall.

5. Awards and Honors

He received the Legion of Honor, an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, and the United Nations Peace Prize. Furthermore, Fauré dedicated his Sérénade to him.