Elisenda Fábregas facts for kids

Elisenda Fábregas in 2021

Elisenda Fábregas (born in 1955 in Terrassa, Province of Barcelona, Spain) is a talented Spanish-American composer. She writes many different kinds of music, including pieces for solo instruments, small groups of instruments, singers, choirs, and even full orchestras.

Quick facts for kids Elisenda Fábregas
Elisenda Fábregas in 2021
Born	1955 Terrassa, Province of Barcelona, Spain
Nationality	Spanish, American
Education	Juilliard School of Music (BM, MM), Columbia University (Ed.D.), Peabody Institute (DMA)
Occupation	Composer, pianist
Known for	Composing over fifty works

About Elisenda Fábregas

Early Life and Education

Elisenda Fábregas started her music journey by studying piano at the Conservatory of Barcelona in Spain. She continued her studies there until 1977.

Then, she moved to the United States. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in piano performance in 1983. She studied at the famous Juilliard School of Music with teachers like Beveridge Webster, Joseff Raieff, and Samuel Sanders. She performed for the first time at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1983.

Later, she continued her education even further. She received a doctorate in education from Columbia University Teachers College in 1992. In 2011, she earned another doctorate in music composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Performing and Teaching

As a pianist, Elisenda Fábregas has performed in many countries. Besides Spain, she has played in England, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and the United States.

From 2010 to 2021, she lived in Seoul, South Korea. During this time, she worked as a visiting professor of music and cultural studies at Kyung Hee University.

Today, she lives in Catalunya, Spain, and focuses on composing music full-time. For the 2023-2024 season, she was the special resident composer at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona.

Awards and Recognition

In 2001, Elisenda Fábregas received an important award. She was given the Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year Award. This award was presented at the Music Teachers National Association Convention in Washington D.C.

Her Musical Works

Elisenda Fábregas has composed more than fifty musical pieces. These works include music for solo instruments, small groups of musicians (chamber ensembles), singers, choirs, and even full orchestras.

She has also written several large piano pieces. Some of these include Mirage (1997), Portraits I (2000), Homenatge a Mompou (2006), Hommage for Mozart (2006), and Somnis radiants (2022).

Here are some of her other notable compositions:

• Five Songs (based on poems by Federico García Lorca) for soprano and piano, 1986
• Variaciones para Orquesta (Variations for Orchestra), 1990
• Five Poems of García Lorca for soprano, cello, clarinet, and violin, 1992
• Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano, 1994
• Andante Appassionato for solo flute, 1996
• Lyric scenes for the young for piano, 1999
• Portraits II for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, 1999
• Album for the Young for piano, three books (33 pieces), 2002
• Voces de mi tierra (Voices of my Land) for flute, cello, and piano, 2003 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Miniatures for the Young for piano, 2004
• Hommage a Mozart for piano, 2005 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Colores Andaluces (Andalusian Colors) for cello and piano, 2006 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Voices of the Rainforest for flute, cello, and piano, 2007 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Goyescas (inspired by Goya) for flute and guitar, 2008 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Terra Mater (Mother Earth) for Symphony Orchestra, 2011
• Symphony No. 1 for Symphonic Band, 2014. This piece was commissioned by the Banda Simfònica de Barcelona. A recording is available on Naxos Records, Catalan Wind Music Vol. 2.
• Triple Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra, 2015
• Homenatge a Pau Casals (Homage to Pau Casals) for cello, 2015 (Published by Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag)
• Accents Catalans for orchestra, 2016. This was commissioned by the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul. It was first performed at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on April 10, 2016.
• Imitació del foc (Imitation of Fire) for tenor and piano, 2019. A recording is available on Bridge Records, Visca L’Amor: Catalan Art Songs of the XX and XXI Centuries.
• Danses de la terra (Dances of the Earth) for cello, 2020.
• Uphill: from Clara to Robert for cello and piano, 2021.
• Castell de Miravet for copla and percussion, 2022. This was commissioned by Agrupació Cultural Folklòrica Barcelona.
• Parlen les dones (Women Speak) for mezzo, SATB choir, and orchestra, 2022. This piece was commissioned by El Cor Canta, a Catalan choral group. It uses poems by Catalan author Montserrat Abelló.
• Aires Catalans (Catalan Airs) for string orchestra, 2023.
• Somnis radiants (Radiant Dreams) for piano, 2022. This piece was first performed by Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko at the Ruhr Piano Festival in Essen.
• Oda a la fortalesa (Ode to Fortitude) for soprano, alto, women's choir, and orchestra, 2024. This was commissioned by the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona.
• Quintet for piano and string quartet, 2024. This was also commissioned by the Palau de la Musica Catalana.
• Fiery earth (Terra Encesa) for string quartet, 2024. This piece was co-commissioned by Cuarteto Casals and Palau de la Musica Catalana. It is planned to be performed for the first time at the Palau de la Musica Catalana on March 19, 2025.

See also

In Spanish: Elisenda Fábregas para niños