As a musician
He began his musical studies in his hometown of Alicante with Dora Ramón and María José Carrillo. He continued his training in Madrid under Manuel Carra, at the Sweelinck Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Jan Marisse Huizing, and at the Schola Cantorum in Paris with Eugen Indjic (a disciple of the celebrated Arthur Rubinstein). There, he obtained the Virtuosity Diploma "à l'unanimité et félicitations du jury", the highest distinction awarded by the school. His training has been further enriched by the guidance of masters such as Alicia de Larrocha, Leonard Stein, Lazar Berman, Claude Helffer, Håkon Austbø, György Sándor, and Piotr Paleczny.
He has been awarded in numerous piano competitions and festivals, including the “Gaetano Zinnetti” Competition in Verona, the “Cidade d’Alcobaça,” the “Manuel de Falla” Competition (Granada), the “Marisa Montiel” Competition (Linares), the “Ciudad de Albacete,” the “José Roca” Competition (Valencia), the “Gerardo Diego” Competition (Soria), the “Ciutat de Manresa,” the “Primitivo Lázaro” Competition (Huelva), the “Pedro Bote” Competition (Badajoz), the “Ciutat de Xàtiva,” “Música en Compostela,” the Holland Music Sessions (Netherlands), and the “Chopin Festival of Bergen,” among others.
He has given recitals across the world. Particularly notable is his collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes and the Tahar Haddat Cultural Center in Tunisia to promote Spanish music in venues such as the Acropolium of Carthage, as well as his acclaimed appearance in the “Chopin Marathon” in Groningen, the UIS International Festival in Santander (Colombia), and the “Satélites” Series of the Spanish National Orchestra, in which he has participated for six consecutive years.
In the field of chamber music, he is a member of the Trío Musicalis and has shared the stage with internationally renowned musicians such as Nobuko Imai (viola) and Arno Bornkamp (saxophone). With the Trío Musicalis he has recorded two albums, Contrastes and Mosaicos (IBS/Naxos label). The latter, featuring works dedicated to the ensemble, received the Special “Melómano de Oro” Award.
His close collaboration with the great composer Luis de Pablo led him to prepare his complete piano works, presenting them in prominent venues such as the Círculo de Bellas Artes (Madrid), the Juan March Foundation (in a concert broadcast live on Radio Clásica), and the Chilehaus in Hamburg (Germany).
He has also made recordings for Radio Nacional de España and “Ediciones Albert Moraleda.”
Beyond his concert and research activity, Francisco Escoda has taught since 2003, serving as Guest Professor at the Conservatorio Superior de les Illes Balears; Professor at the Superior Conservatories of Alicante and Castellón; Professor and Director of the Master's Degree in Performance and Musical Research at the Universidad Internacional Valenciana (VIU), which received an “Honorable Mention” at the 5th International Teaching With Sakai Innovation Award (TWSIA) held in Atlanta (USA) in 2012, in recognition of pedagogical innovation and excellence; and Erasmus Professor at the Conservatories of Venice and Castelfranco (Italy), Prague, and Bydgoszcz (Poland). Teaching With Sakai Innovation Award (TWSIA) celebrado en Atlanta (USA) en 2012, en reconocimiento a la innovación pedagógica y excelencia en proyectos, y Profesor Erasmus en los Conservatorios de Venecia y Castelfranco (Italia), Praga y Bidgoszcz (Polonia).
His collaboration with the Edytra Foundation in the program “Prevention of Violence Through Music in El Salvador” was recognized by the Legislative Assembly of that country, in an event broadcast on national television.
He currently combines his concert activity with teaching at the Schola Cantorum in Paris (since 2016), the Accademia Umberto Giordano in Foggia, and the MpMusic Foundation (Spain). la Schola Cantorum de París (desde 2016), la Accademia Umberto Giordano de Foggia y la Fundación MpMusic (España).
As a Clinical Psychologist
Drawing from his own personal experience and his observations of fellow musicians—friends, colleagues, and teachers—Francisco Escoda began to develop an interest in the late 1990s in the relationship between the musician and the stage, specifically the processes of performance anxiety that can arise. He completed his Degree in Clinical Psychology in 2000, and since then, he has been consistently dedicated to researching the foundations of performance anxiety, as well as various therapeutic methods for coping with these situations.
In the field of research, he earned the Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in “Psychophysiology of Anxiety” with the highest honors and has participated in numerous congresses and conferences. Regarding public outreach, he has been featured in radio interviews (such as Psicología Hoy on Radio 3) and frequently conducts courses and lectures.
In the field of research, he obtained the Diploma of Advanced Studies in “Psychophysiology of Anxiety” with the highest distinction and has participated in various congresses and conferences. In terms of dissemination, he has taken part in radio interviews (such as Psicología Hoy on Radio 3) and has offered courses and lectures.
In addition, in the field of Introduction to Music Therapy, he taught at the Superior Conservatory of Castellón from 2004 to 2010.
His manual on performance anxiety (now the property of the VIU) has served as a reference for several ongoing research projects.
From a therapeutic perspective, since 2003 he has collaborated with conservatories, Spanish orchestras, and various Spanish and European institutions in the treatment and prevention of performance anxiety among musicians.
His recent lines of research include the early treatment and prevention of anxiety, the use of music therapy and the Neuroscience of Music to improve quality of life, as well as the "conservatory model" and its implications for the mental health of musicians.