Juan Orrego-Salas facts for kids
Juan Antonio Orrego-Salas (born January 18, 1919 – died November 24, 2019) was a famous Chilean composer, musicologist, and music critic. He was also a respected teacher at universities. He spent his life creating and studying music, and helping others learn about it.
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Life and Education
Juan Antonio Orrego-Salas was born in Santiago, Chile, on January 18, 1919. He loved music from a young age. He studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Chile), which is the music school of the University of Chile.
At the university, he learned how to compose music. His teachers included important figures like Pedro Humberto Allende and Domingo Santa Cruz Wilson. Besides music, he also earned a degree in architecture. This shows he had many talents!
Teaching and Advanced Studies
After finishing his studies, Orrego-Salas began teaching. He taught music history at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música. He also taught at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. In 1938, he even started a university choir there.
He received special grants to study more in the United States. From 1944 to 1946, he learned from famous composers like Aaron Copland. He also studied musicology, which is the study of music history and theory.
Return to Chile and Leadership Roles
In 1947, Orrego-Salas returned to Chile. He became a professor of music composition at the University of Chile. He was given the special title of "Profesor Extraordinario" in 1953.
He also worked as an editor for a music magazine called Revista musical chilena. From 1950, he wrote about music for the newspaper El Mercurio. He received another grant in 1954 to study again in the United States.
When he came back to Chile, he took on more leadership roles. He became the director of El Instituto de Extensión Musical. He also served as the dean of the music school at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Many students learned from him, including the composer Sylvia Soublette.
Later Life in the United States
In 1961, Orrego-Salas moved to the United States permanently. He joined Indiana University Bloomington. There, he helped create the Latin American Music Center (LAMC). This center helps promote music from Latin America.
One of his students at Indiana University was the composer Ricardo Lorenz. Ricardo later took over as the director of the LAMC. In 1992, Orrego-Salas received Chile's first ever National Prize for Musical Arts. This was a huge honor for his contributions to music.
Juan Antonio Orrego-Salas passed away in Bloomington, Indiana, on November 24, 2019. He was 100 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Orrego Salas para niños
