Montserrat Torrent facts for kids
Montserrat Torrent i Serra (born on April 17, 1926) is a famous Spanish organist. An organist is a musician who plays the organ, a very large musical instrument that makes sound using air through pipes. Montserrat Torrent is known for her amazing talent and for helping people learn more about organ music.
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Her Early Life and Music Studies
Montserrat was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1926. She started her music journey by learning to play the piano. Her mother, who was also a musician, taught her. Her mother had learned from a famous pianist named Enrique Granados.
Later, Montserrat studied with Frank Marshall at his music school in Barcelona. She also attended the Conservatory of Music in Barcelona.
Learning the Organ in Other Countries
Montserrat continued her studies in other countries. She went to París, France, to learn from a teacher named Noëlie Pierront. She was able to do this thanks to a special grant from the French Institute.
She also studied in Siena, Italy, with teachers like Ferdinando Germani and Helmuth Rilling. A group called the Fundación Juan March helped her with a scholarship for this.
Montserrat's Career and Teaching
After her studies, Montserrat Torrent became an organ teacher. She taught at the Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona. She began performing in many places, including Europe, the United States of America, and South America.
She wanted to show everyone that the organ is a wonderful musical instrument. She helped make organ music more popular.
Helping to Preserve Organ Music
In 1962, Montserrat started a group called the Organ Friends Association. This group had an important goal: to share organ music with more people. They also worked to protect and save old, historic organs in Spain.
She also worked with a group called Ars Musicae de Barcelona. This group helped bring back old Spanish and European music. They played music from long ago using instruments from that time.
Awards and Recognitions
Montserrat Torrent has received many important awards for her work. These awards show how much she has contributed to music:
- Grand Prix du Disque "Charles Cros" for her recording of music by Cabanilles (1965).
- Creu de Sant Jordi from the Catalan Government (1995). This is a very important award in Catalonia, Spain.
- She became a corresponding member at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Granada (1995). This means she was recognized by a famous art academy.
- Medalla de Plata del Mérito Artístico de Bellas Artes from the Spanish Ministry of Culture (1996). This is a silver medal for artistic merit.
- Premio Nacional de Música (1996). This is Spain's National Music Award.
- Medalla de Oro al Mérito Artístico from the City of Barcelona (1997). This is a gold medal for artistic merit from her home city.
- Medalla del Real Conservatorio de Música de Madrid (2001). This medal is from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid.
- Medalla del Mérito al Trabajo "Francesc Macià" from the Catalan Government (2001). This medal recognizes her hard work.
- She received the title of Doctora Honoris Causa from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2008). This is an honorary doctorate degree, given to people who have achieved great things.
See also
In Spanish: Montserrat Torrent i Serra para niños
