Celia Torrá

Celia Torrá (18 September 1889 – 16 December 1962)[1] was an Argentine composer, conductor, and violinist.[2] She was the first woman to conduct an orchestra at the Teatro Colón.[3]

Celia Torrá, 1925

Torrá was born in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Rios, Argentina. Her father was her first violin teacher.[4] She later studied music with Andres Gaos, Athos Palma,[5] and Alberto Williams.[6]

In 1909, she won a National Commission of Fine Arts prize which funded her studies in Europe with Vincent d'Indy, Jenő Hubay, Zoltán Kodály, Paul Le Flem, and César Thomson.[7] She won the Royal Conservatory of Brussels' Grand Prix for violin in 1911. The Entre Rios provincial government gave her a grant to continue her studies in Europe.[8] She remained in France during World War I, where she gave benefit concerts for the Red Cross.[4]

In 1921, Torrá returned to Argentina where she was the first female conductor at the Teatro Colón.[8] In 1930, she founded and directed the Asociación Coral Femenina, which later merged with the Asociación Sinfónica Femenina.[9]

Torrá conducted both groups in over 200 concerts. In 1952, she founded a choir for the employees of Philips Argentina S.A., the first workers choir in Argentina.[4]

Chamber
  • En Piragua (violin and piano)[10]
  • Pieces (violin and piano)[8]

Orchestra
  • Rapsodia entrerriana
  • Suite en Tres Tiempos[8]
  • Suite Incaica[8]
  • Suite y Rapsodia Entrerriana[8]
  • Tres Piezas para Arcos (string orchestra)[8]

Piano

Vocal
  • "A la patria"[12]
  • "Abandono (Carmen latino")[12]
  • "Alborada"[12]
  • "Atardecer"[8]
  • "Cacharros y ponchitos"[12]
  • "Cantar de arriero" (text by Rafael Jijena Sánchez)[12]
  • "Capillas"[12]
  • "Changuito (Canción infantil)" (text by Adela Christensen)[12]
  • Coqueando (women's chorus and piano)[8]
  • "Crepuscula"r[12]
  • El aguila (women's chorus and piano)[8]
  • El arroyo y luna y nieve en huillapina (chorus and orchestra)[8]
  • "El sauce"[12]
  • "Himno a la paz"[12]
  • Himno a la raza  (chorus and orchestra)[8]
  • "Himno del liceo"[12]
  • "La campana"[12]  
  • "La gallina ponedora"[12]
  • "La señora semana"[12]
  • Las campanas (chorus; arrangement of melody by Juan Hidaldo)[8]
  • "Las palomitas"[12]
  • "Los amigos" [12]
  • "Marcha patriótica"[12]
  • "Mi reloj"[12]
  • "Milonga del destino" (Text: Fernán Silva Valdés)[12]
  • O María Virgo (women's chorus and organ)[8]
  • "Oración a la bandera"[12]
  • "Otoño"[12]
  • Pampeana (male chorus)[8]
  • "Primavera"[12]
  • "Quisiera eternizarme"[12]
  • "Seis Coplas"[12]
  • Tota pulchra (women's chorus and organ)[8]
  • "Vida, vidita" (Text: Rafael Jijena Sánchez)[12]
  • "Visión de paz"[12]

References
  1. Greene, Frank (1985). Composers on Record: An Index to Biographical Information on 14,000 Composers Whose Music Has Been Recorded. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1816-3.
  2. Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music: an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  3. "Torrá, Celia". Donne. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  4. "Celia Torrá: la violinista que rompió barreras". miradorprovincial.com. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  5. Center, Indiana University, Bloomington Latin American Music; Lorenz, Ricardo; Dirie, Gerardo (1995). Scores and Recordings at the Indiana University Latin American Music Center. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-33273-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. Tiemstra, Suzanne Spicer (1992). The Choral Music of Latin America: A Guide to Compositions and Research. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-28208-9.
  7. Organ and Harpsichord Music by Women Composers: An Annotated Catalog. ABC-CLIO. 1991. ISBN 978-0-313-26802-1.
  8. Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. The Music Magazine/Musical Courier. Jul 1939.
  10. En Piragua (Torrá): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  11. Slonimsky, Nicolas (1972-10-21). Music Of Latin America. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-71188-6.
  12. "Celia Torrá (1884–1962) – Vocal Texts and Translations at the LiederNet Archive". www.lieder.net. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
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