Luis Abraham Delgadillo facts for kids
Luis Abraham Delgadillo (born August 25, 1887 – died December 20, 1961) was a famous composer from Nicaragua. He created many pieces of music. He also held important jobs in music in his home country. He was in charge of musical culture for Nicaragua. Later, he led the National School of Music and the National Symphony Orchestra in Managua.
About Luis Abraham Delgadillo
Luis Abraham Delgadillo was born on August 26, 1887. His birthplace was Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. He first went to school there.
He later studied music in Italy. He attended the Milan Conservatory for five years. The government of Nicaragua helped him go there.
When he came back to Nicaragua, Delgadillo became a conductor. He led the Banda de los Supremos Poderes, which was a special band. He also became the first director-general of musical culture. This important job was created just for him.
From 1921 to 1925, he lived in Mexico City. There, he taught music theory at the National Conservatory of Music. In 1930, Delgadillo conducted music at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
He was in New York when a big earthquake hit Nicaragua in 1931. Because of this, he wrote a piece called Romance Oriental (Eastern Romance). Starting in 1943, he taught how to compose music in Panama City for two years. At the same time, he edited a music magazine called Armonía.
Delgadillo started Nicaragua's National School of Music. He also founded a symphony orchestra. He directed both of these groups starting in 1950. He passed away on December 20, 1961, in Managua.
His Music and Importance
Delgadillo wrote more than 400 pieces of music. This includes nine large works for orchestras. He also composed an opera called Final de Norma. He wrote over sixty pieces for the piano. Twenty-four of these were dedicated to the famous composer Frédéric Chopin.
Much of his music was inspired by the traditional sounds of Nicaragua and Guatemala. Delgadillo might have been the first composer to study Nicaraguan folk music.
In 2008, a book called Culture and Customs of Nicaragua mentioned Delgadillo. It said he was one of the "four most important academic composers" in Nicaragua's music history. The others were Alejandro Vega Matus, Carlos Alberto Ramirez, and José de la Cruz Mena.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians also talks about him. It says he was the first Nicaraguan to write big orchestral pieces. It also notes that he is the Nicaraguan classical composer best known in the Americas. The Harvard Dictionary of Music calls Delgadillo "the foremost figure in Nicaraguan music."
See also
In Spanish: Luis Abraham Delgadillo para niños
