Clotilde Cerdà facts for kids
Clotilde Cerdà (1861–1926) was a talented Spanish harp player. She made her first big performance at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair when she was just eleven years old. The famous conductor Johann Strauss II led her performance. Both Queen Isabel II and writer Victor Hugo were very impressed. They gave her the stage name Esmeralda Cervantes. As a teenager, she played the harp across Europe and in the Americas. Clotilde also strongly believed in ending slavery and was against the death penalty. In Barcelona, she started a school for women with Dolors Aleu i Riera. She continued to perform, teach the harp, and even opened music schools. Later in her life, she also worked as a journalist.
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Early Life and Music Talent
Clotilde Cerdà was born in Barcelona, Spain, on February 28, 1861. Her father was Ildefonso Cerdá, a famous engineer who designed the "Eixample," a large new part of Barcelona. Her mother, Clotilde Bosch, was a painter. After living in Madrid for a few years, Clotilde traveled to Rome and Paris with her mother. She first studied painting in Rome, but then she decided to focus on music.
Clotilde played her first concert at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair when she was eleven. She played a harp solo at the Vienna Imperial Theater. Johann Strauss II directed her performance. Both Queen Isabel II and Victor Hugo praised her greatly. The Queen named her Cervantes, after a famous Spanish writer. Victor Hugo called her Esmeralda, after a character from his book The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Queen Isabel II supported Clotilde throughout her music career.
In 1875, a group called the Liceo Esmeralda was formed to support young artists. It was backed by the royal family, and Esmeralda was its honorary president.
Travels and Important Causes
In 1875, Clotilde went on a music tour across the Americas. She performed in cities like Buenos Aires, at the court of the emperor of Brazil, and in Mexico City.
Clotilde Cerdà was a strong supporter of ending slavery in 1876. She also spoke out against the death penalty and worked to improve life for people who were struggling. These strong beliefs sometimes caused powerful friends to turn against her.
Return to Barcelona and Education
When Clotilde returned to Barcelona in 1885, she and Dolors Aleu i Riera opened a school for women. It was called the Academia para la Ilustración de la Mujer (Academy for the Enlightenment of Women). They hoped to offer women more education. However, the school had to close in 1887 because it did not get enough support. A royal secretary even wrote to Clotilde, suggesting she should focus on her music instead of political matters.
Clotilde kept performing concerts in different countries. She mostly played her own music and pieces by other composers of her time. She wrote about twelve pieces for the harp. Her strong religious beliefs led her to do charity work for churches. In 1875, she received a special blessing from Pope Leo XIII. She also wrote religious music, like "Invocation to the Virgin of Montserrat."
Journalism and Time Abroad
After a long trip through Latin America, Clotilde moved to Paris. There, she started a literary magazine called La Estrella Polar in 1878. This was likely her first step into journalism. During these years, she wrote for other magazines too, like La Moda elegante. In her articles, she wrote about social issues, music, books, and her travels.
Many of her ideas about women's education were also shared in a magazine called El ángel del hogar (The Angel of the Home).
In 1886, she moved to Brazil. There, she opened several music schools and a harp school. She also wrote for newspapers. Later, she went to Constantinople (now Istanbul) to teach the royal women in the palace. While there, she learned about Turkish customs, education, and arts. She wrote a paper about women's education in Turkey. This paper was presented at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
Later Life
In 1895, Clotilde Cerdà married Oscar Grossman, a German engineer who made porcelain in Brazil. Letters from Queen Isabel II show that Clotilde kept a friendly relationship with the Spanish royal family throughout her life.
Clotilde lived in many different cities. These included Barcelona (1901–1902), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1902–1905), and Mexico City (1907–1915). In 1918, she retired to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where she passed away on April 12, 1926. She is buried in the Santa Lastenia cemetery there.
Images for kids
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Esmeralda Cervantes, around 1876.
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See also
In Spanish: Clotilde Cerdá para niños
