Her first international acclaim she earned in 1992, when she sang in the World Première of Antigua Fé performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid under the baton of Luca Pfaff. Only months later she performed in the baroque opera Wind is the Happiness of Love by José de Nebra alongside the Limoges Baroque Ensemble under the baton of Christophe Coin. In the following she was invited to work with the large French Classic Label Auvidis Records.

1997 saw her debut at the Teatro Real de Madrid with The Short Life by Manuel de Falla, the opera that re-opened the theatre following its refurbishment. One year later she debuted at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville with Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri. In 2000 she was invited to sing in a solo concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam as part of the Vokaal Festival. Opening the 2000-2001 season she made her debut at the Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona as the main character in José Luis Turina’s opera D.Q. under the stage direction of La Fura dels Baus.

In 2002 her recording with the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Tamayo received unanimous praise from international critics winning several awards. 2004 she made a recording for the RTVE-Música Label entitled La Seguidilla Galante, in which she revitalized Spanish vocal music of the early 19th century, thereby receiving enthusiastic praise by the press. In the following years she toured the Americas singing in many of the top theatres in Brazil. in Miami, Strathmore and in Washington D.C.

Pilar Jurado is not only a singer but also an acclaimed composer having earned her several awards. Thus is may not surprise that she premiered as soprano in works of composers such as Luis de Pablo, Tomás Marco, Cristóbal Hallfter, José Luis Turina, James Maymillan and Unsuk Chin just to name a few.