Celia Torrá facts for kids

Celia Torrá (born September 18, 1889 – died December 16, 1962) was an amazing Argentine musician. She was a talented composer, a conductor (someone who leads an orchestra), and a violinist. She made history as the first woman to lead an orchestra at the famous Teatro Colón in Argentina!

Early Life and Studies

Celia Torrá was born in Concepción del Uruguay, a city in the Entre Ríos Province of Argentina. Her father was her very first violin teacher, which shows how music was a part of her life from the beginning. Later, she continued her music studies with other great teachers like Andres Gaos, Athos Palma, and Alberto Williams.

In 1909, Celia won a special prize from the National Commission of Fine Arts. This prize helped her travel to Europe to study with famous musicians like Vincent d'Indy, Jenő Hubay, Zoltán Kodály, Paul Le Flem, and César Thomson. She was very successful, even winning the Grand Prix for violin at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 1911. The government of Entre Ríos Province also gave her a grant to keep studying in Europe. She stayed in France during World War I, where she played concerts to help the Red Cross.

A Pioneering Conductor

In 1921, Celia Torrá returned to Argentina. This is when she made history by becoming the first female conductor at the Teatro Colón. This was a huge achievement, as it was a very important and respected concert hall.

Celia also loved bringing people together through music. In 1930, she started and led a group called the Asociacion Coral Femenina, which was a women's choir. Later, this group joined with another one called the Asociacion Sinfonica Femenina. Celia conducted both groups in more than 200 concerts!

She also believed that everyone should have a chance to sing. In 1952, she started a choir for the employees of Philips Argentina S.A. This was the first choir for workers in Argentina, showing her dedication to music for all.

Her Compositions

Celia Torrá was also a talented composer, meaning she wrote her own music. She created many different kinds of pieces, including music for orchestras, pianos, and voices.

Music for Instruments

She wrote pieces for instruments like the violin and piano, such as:

• En Piragua (for violin and piano)
• Pieces (for violin and piano)

She also composed music for full orchestras, including:

• Rapsodia entrerriana
• Suite en Tres Tiempos
• Suite Incaica
• Tres Piezas para Arcos (for string orchestra)

For the piano, she wrote a piece called:

• Sonata

Vocal Music

Celia Torrá wrote many songs for voices, often with interesting texts. Some of her vocal works include:

• "A la patria"
• "Alborada"
• "Cantar de arriero" (with words by Rafael Jijena Sánchez)
• "Changuito (Canción infantil)" (a children's song with words by Adela Christensen)
• "Himno a la paz" (a hymn to peace)
• "La gallina ponedora"
• "Milonga del destino" (with words by Fernán Silva Valdés)
• "Oración a la bandera" (a prayer to the flag)
• "Vida, vidita" (with words by Rafael Jijena Sánchez)

She also wrote pieces for choirs, sometimes with piano or organ accompaniment:

• Coqueando (for women's chorus and piano)
• El aguila (for women's chorus and piano)
• El arroyo y luna y nieve en huillapina (for chorus and orchestra)
• Las campanas (for chorus, based on a melody by Juan Hidaldo)
• O María Virgo (for women's chorus and organ)
• Pampeana (for male chorus)
• Tota pulchra (for women's chorus and organ)

Celia Torrá was a truly important figure in Argentine music, breaking barriers and creating beautiful works that are still remembered today.

See also

In Spanish: Celia Torrá para niños