His 1980 Cinco piezas para orquesta (Five Pieces for Orchestra), commissioned by Radio Nacional de España and written in a postmodern, neotonal style, won first prize in the National Composition Competition of the Spanish Jeunesses Musicales in 1981 and second prize at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in 1982, and continues to be widely performed in Spain.
He took his Master of Music degree in Composition in 1985 at Indiana University where he studied under the Chilean composer Juan Orrego-Salas.
His most famous work, Cinco Piezas para Orquesta, was a commission by Spanish National Radio and composed in 1980.
The score has formed the basis for two ballets: La Espera (choreographed by Ray Barra and performed by the Ballet Nacional del Teatro de la Zarzuela in 1987) and Five Elements (choreographed by Jiang Qi and performed by Dance China NY in 2010).
"[8] The works from this second creative period often have spiritual themes and are based on sacred texts and the melodies of Gregorian chant.