In 1999, he completed his international higher education at the Rotterdam Conservatory with top marks, under the tutelage of Aquiles de la Vigne, a direct disciple of Claudio Arrau and descendant of the interpretive tradition of Franz Liszt.
From that moment on, focal dystonia destroyed his career and he had to stop playing. From then on, a very different story began in Manuel’s life, far from music, always sad, longing for the piano as never before and surviving in a thousand ways and exploring a thousand lives with other jobs outside of music.
In 2016, after many years, he decided to play again, in what would be the last time in his life playing with both hands. In an attempt to show that it was possible to play ‘freely, without pain and suffering’, he gave his last concert for his grandmother, who died shortly afterwards.
It was his last attempt, as after many years of not knowing what was really happening to his hands, he was finally diagnosed by a neurologist in Madrid with focal dystonia of the hand. At that time, there was no known cure for his condition. It is a devastating disease that affects more than 1% of musicians and prevents them from performing controlled and normal movements. Manuel has been living with this condition since 1997, more than 20 years ago, and in his case it prevents him from using his right hand.
In 2018, while undergoing a thalamotomy, performed with the aim of alleviating the effects of focal dystonia in his right hand, he suffered a stroke.
Since then, he has devoted all his efforts to showing people that it is possible to play the piano with only his left hand and achieve his sole objective: to convey the joy of living.
‘The love of music can do anything. Do what you love and do it well. Nothing is impossible in life or in music if you truly love it.’
In his own words, ‘This is a concert about overcoming adversity, where I want to show people that in music, as in life, there are no limits. You must never give up in the face of adversity. If you love something, do it regardless of your physical condition. I want this message to reach everyone.’
He has continued to perform, taking his music, played with only his left hand, to every corner of Spain. His repertoire for the left hand now covers all eras and periods of classical music, with works by Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Albeniz, and Brahms.
This year, he has scheduled a series of monographic recitals of Spanish music with works adapted by himself for performance with the left hand by I. Albeniz, E. Granados, J. Turina, and others.
