Paloma O'Shea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Illustrious
Paloma O'Shea
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Paloma O'Shea y Artiñano
19 February 1936 Guecho, Biscay, Spain
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| Occupation | President of the Albéniz Foundation |
| Spouse(s) | Emilio Botín |
| Children | 6, including Ana Patricia |
| Parent(s) | José O'Shea Sebastián María Asunción Artiñano Luzárraga |
Paloma O'Shea Artiñano, born on February 19, 1936, is a famous Spanish pianist. She is also a big supporter of the arts, meaning she helps artists and musicians. Paloma O'Shea started and leads the Reina Sofía School of Music, a top music school. She also founded the Albéniz Foundation. This foundation organizes the important Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition in Santander.
Paloma O'Shea grew up in Las Arenas, a town near Bilbao, Spain. Her father's family came from Ireland a long time ago. Her mother was from the Basque region of Spain. Paloma started playing the piano in 1941 when she was young. Later, she moved to France to continue her music studies. When she was 15, she won a major award for her piano skills. She even performed as a solo artist with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra.
Later, she married Emilio Botín, who was a leader at a big bank called Grupo Santander. After that, she focused on helping classical music grow in Spain. In 1972, she started the Santander Piano Competition. This competition later became known by her name. In 1991, she opened the Reina Sofía School of Music. This private school is now one of the best music schools in Spain.
In 2008, the King of Spain gave her the special title of Marchioness of O'Shea. She has also received other important awards. These include the Légion d'honneur from France and the Picasso Award from UNESCO. Paloma O'Shea has six children. She spends her time living in both Madrid and Santander.
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Paloma O'Shea's Work in Music
Paloma O'Shea has always been involved in the world of music. Her work began in 1972 with the start of the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition. Since then, she has created many projects. These projects help to make music more modern and popular in Spain.
Here are some of her key projects:
- 1972: The Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition began.
- 1987: She founded the Albéniz Foundation.
- 1989: The Isaac Albéniz Library and Research Centre was created.
- 1991: The Reina Sofía School of Music opened its doors.
- 1998: She started the Yehudi Menuhin Prize for connecting arts and education.
- 2000: MagisterMusicae.com, an online music education platform, was launched.
- 2001: The Santander Encounter "Music and Academia" started.
- 2005: The International Chamber Music Institute of Madrid was established.
- 2010: Classicalplanet.com, a classical music website, was launched.
About the Albéniz Foundation
The Albéniz Foundation is a cultural organization. For over twenty years, it has supported and managed Paloma O'Shea's music programs. It helps bring together private and public groups. They work together on projects that benefit the community through music.
Many Spanish and international groups have recognized the foundation's important work. Paloma O'Shea has received many honors for her efforts. These include the Medal of Honor from the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She also received the Picasso Medal from UNESCO in 1994. This award was for helping different countries understand each other through culture. It also recognized her dedication to helping young artists.
In 1998, the Kings of Spain gave her the Golden Medal for Merit in Fine Arts. She has also been named an "Adoptive Daughter" of Cantabria. In 2004, the French government made her a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. In 2009, the city of Madrid gave her its Golden Medal.
Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition
The Santander Piano Competition started in 1972. It quickly became famous around the world. In 1976, it joined the International Competitions Federation in Geneva. Today, this award is highly desired by talented young pianists.
Through the competition, Paloma O'Shea realized something important. Spanish pianists sometimes struggled to reach the final rounds. It wasn't because they lacked talent. Instead, they didn't have enough chances for advanced music education. This led to masterclasses in Santander. Famous soloists and teachers taught these classes. They worked with the Menéndez Pelayo International University. These lessons grew into regular Summer Courses. These courses now include instruments other than piano.
Santander Encounter "Music and Academia"
The teaching programs in Santander reached a new level in July 2001. That's when the Santander Encounter "Music and Academy" was founded. Every July, this event brings together important music teachers and young musicians. These students come from the best music schools in Europe. The Encounter combines classroom learning with live performances. It fills Santander and Cantabria with music. There are about 60 public concerts and over 500 hours of masterclasses.
The Reina Sofía School of Music
After her experience with the competition, Paloma O'Shea saw a need. Spain needed a permanent music center with the highest international standards. To make this dream real, she got help from many famous artists. These included Alicia de Larrocha, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, Yehudi Menuhin, and Mstislav Rostropovich. Queen Sofía of Spain also strongly supported the project. She knew about the needs in Spanish music education.
Today, the Reina Sofía School of Music has top professors for every instrument. It also attracts the most talented students from around the world. For twenty years, the school was in Pozuelo de Alarcón. In autumn 2009, it moved to a new building. This building was designed by architect Miguel Oriol. It was built by the Albéniz Foundation. It is a special building located in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid. It is right next to the Royal Palace and Royal Theater.
The new school building has everything a top music center needs. It has the latest technology. It also has a beautiful Auditorium with 450 seats. This auditorium has become a cultural hub in downtown Madrid.
The Reina Sofía Music School has always focused on international projects. This helps students learn from different music traditions. The school has worked with famous European centers on many projects. These include the Encounter, the online music school Magister Musicae, and the Yehudi Menuhin Prize.
See also
In Spanish: Paloma O'Shea para niños
