Palau Boix studied at the Conservatory of Valencia where he was a disciple of Juan Cortés, Pedro Sosa and Eduardo López-Chavarri, obtaining qualifications in Composition and Piano. He completed his studies in Paris with Charles Koechlin (harmony, counterpoint and fugue). Due to his great prestige he occupied the position of National Music Advisor.

Within the rôle of musicologist, he was particularly interested in ethnomusicological studies, and this led him to make a collection of popular pieces from Valencia.

He was particularly esteemed for his work as composer. His style was characterised by a very definite Valencian flavour which included the latest innovations in music, particularly impressionism but also tonality, dodecaphonism and modality. Throughout his development there is a gradual abandonment of the Valencian character in favour of a more personal and universal language.
He was awarded the National Music Prize on two occasions: in 1927, he won the prize for his work Gongoriana, which celebrated Luis de Góngora’s third centenary, and was inspired by the poet’s verses and ballads; the second prize was for Atardecer in 1945.

UME/SGAE (Diccionario de la música española e hispanoamericana)