Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano facts for kids
Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano, born on February 16, 1946, in Madrid, Spain, is a famous harp professor. She teaches at the Royal Superior Music Conservatory of Madrid. She also helped start the RTVE Orchestra. Many people say she created the Modern Spanish Harp School, which is a special way of playing the harp in Spain.
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Her Early Life
Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano started learning music when she was just four years old. At six, she joined Madrid's Royal Superior Music Conservatory. There, she studied the harp, piano, and even ballet! She quickly became a great solo harp player. She won many awards and performed in cities like Sienna and Paris. Later, she became a founding member of the Radio Televisión Española Symphony Orchestra.
When she was only 18, she became a Harp Professor at the Royal Superior Music Conservatory. This made her the youngest Chair Professor in Spanish music history! Her work now includes playing, teaching, and doing research.
Her Education
Calvo-Manzano graduated from the Royal Superior Music Conservatory of Madrid with top honors. She earned a Masters in Philosophy and Human Arts. She also has two PhDs. One is in Architecture and the other is in History. This shows she loves learning many different subjects!
Her Amazing Career
In 1976, Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York. Critics loved her performance! The New York Times said she was a groundbreaking harpist. They noted how she was changing modern harp playing with her unique sound and technique. After this concert, the City of New York named her the Best Young Foreign Artist of the Year.
Writing and Research
Calvo-Manzano has written many essays. These essays are about teaching music, music history, and how music works. She has focused on studying Spanish music, especially pieces written for the harp. She has also researched old music papers. Her books are published by ARLU publications. She has also written for special music magazines. She helped create music dictionaries and books about music history.
Her Music Albums
Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano has recorded several music albums. Most of these albums feature Spanish music. They also include a special style called "ludoviquiano." These albums help people remember Ludovico. He was a famous harpist during the High Renaissance period. He was also a musician for the Catholic Monarchs. Calvo-Manzano has also published special studies on Spanish songs she plays.
The ARLU Technique
Calvo-Manzano created a special teaching method called the ARLU Technique. This technique is used in courses at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Royal Superior Music Conservatory. Many music teachers in Spain were once her students. Her students from other countries have also shared her harp and teaching ideas.
The ARLU method helps students understand the harp in a deeper way. She wanted the harp to have a technique that was not only powerful but also very expressive. This made her a true innovator in harp playing. She is known as the founder of the modern Spanish school of harp. Many students from other countries visit her. They are drawn by her success as a concert harpist and scholar. Many of her students even get their PhDs with her help.
Ludovico Harpist Association
In 1988, the Ludovico Harpist Association was started. Its goal is to protect Spanish harp heritage and honor Ludovico. In 1993, the association began the Harpist Ludovico International Harp Competition. This competition helps talented young harpists. It has become one of the most important harp competitions in the world. A multicultural festival also happens at the same time. The competition takes place every three years in "Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial." Calvo-Manzano is the main supporter of this event.
In 2000, she gave her personal harp collection to the foundation. This collection included old instruments and a library of special documents. She wanted future generations to have these resources. The collection has over 10,000 books about art, history, philosophy, and music.
She also started the Spanish Chamber Music Group "Ludovico Harpist." This group performs Spanish chamber music. Many of these pieces are written just for Calvo-Manzano. The ARLU Association publishes and records their music.
Awards and Recognition
Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano has been named a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and Historic Sciences of Spain. She has also received many national and international awards. The King of Spain honored her with "El Lazo de Isabel la Católica" and "La Encomienda de Alfonso X el Sabio."
See also
In Spanish: María Rosa Calvo-Manzano para niños
