Spanish composer, teacher and conductor.

Born on 4 January 1893 in Alfara del Patriarca (Valencia). He studied piano and composition at the Conservatorio de Valencia from 1914 to 1919; and expanded his formation in Paris, where he took composition lessons from Maurice Ravel, Charles Koechlin and Albert Bertelin between 1924 and 1932. During this period, he made his conducting debut, won a prize from the Provincial Council of Valencia for his book "Elementos folklóricos" (1925) at the Jocs Florals of Lo Rat Penat, and composed works like "Beniflors: paisaje valenciano" (1920), "Tres impresiones orquestales" (1922-1923) and "Gongoriana" (1927), which garnered him the National Music Prize in 1927.

On 2 January 1925, Palau asked Manuel de Falla if he could interview him for the daily "La correspondencia de Valencia". He won the National Music Prize again in 1945 for his orchestral piece "Atardecer". He was an instructor at the Conservatorio de Valencia, where he taught composition, orchestration and instrumentation, and later became the school's director in the early 1950s. He also directed the Instituto Valenciano de Musicología and the Institució Alfons el Magnànim in Valencia. He was director of the municipal bands of Liria and Moncada and created the Orquesta Pro Arte (later renamed Orquesta Sinfónica Pro Arte). He was also a guest conductor of ensembles like the Orquesta Clásica de Madrid and Orquesta Sinfónica de Valencia.

In addition to the aforementioned works, Palau's catalogue includes "Evocaciones de España" (1930), "Hermosita, hermosita" (1947), "Líricas lucentinas" (1952), "Maror" (1953-1956) and "Tríptico catedralicio" (1955-1956). He passed away on 18 February 1967 in Valencia (Spain).

Su legado documental se conserva en el Archivo Manuel Palau Boix en la Biblioteca Valenciana Nicolau Primitiu.