Jorge Gomez Labraña was born in 1942 at Barcelona, Spain. He early demonstrated extraordinary pianistic talent, and at age eleven gave his first concert with the Radio Havana Orchestra, garnering the praises of Ernesto Lecuona. His studies took him to Paris and Budapest, where he obtained a diploma at the Académie supérieure de musique Franz Liszt (1966). Labraña has received prizes at several international competitions, including the Enescu (Bucharest, 1964) and the Liszt-Bartók (Budapest, 1966). After enjoying a career of great distinction as a performer and educator in Cuba, Labraña relocated to Canada, where he has lived since 1994. He has concertized extensively in Canada, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Latin America. Also a distinguished composer, his musical comedy, "La Place magique," has received numerous accolades. Labraña has performed and recorded the piano music of Canadian composer Jean Chatillon, and is a figure of considerable prominence in the cultural life of Québec.