Born in Barcelona, Soler has for a long time been a major influence on Catalan music. He has never confined himself, however, to regional or specifically nationalistic styles, and has contributed to a wide variety of genres and instrumental combinations. He has immersed himself in the study of Renaissance and early Baroque composers, while at the same time allying himself with the twelve-tone procedures pioneered by the Second Viennese School, especially by Alban Berg. In his Nocturnes, Soler plays conscious homage to Chopin, although these works reflect a more introspective character than does the music of the earlier composer.