Celia_Torrá
Celia Torrá
Argentine composer
Celia Torrá (18 September 1889 – 16 December 1962)[1] was an Argentine composer, conductor, and violinist.[2] She was the first woman to conduct an orchestra at the Teatro Colón.[3]
Torrá was born in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Rios, Argentina. Her father was her first violin teacher.[4] She later studied music with Andres Gaos, Athos Palma,[5] and Alberto Williams.[6]
In 1909, she won a National Commission of Fine Arts prize which funded her studies in Europe with Vincent d'Indy, Jenő Hubay, Zoltán Kodály, Paul Le Flem, and César Thomson.[7] She won the Royal Conservatory of Brussels' Grand Prix for violin in 1911. The Entre Rios provincial government gave her a grant to continue her studies in Europe.[8] She remained in France during World War I, where she gave benefit concerts for the Red Cross.[4]
In 1921, Torrá returned to Argentina where she was the first female conductor at the Teatro Colón.[8] In 1930, she founded and directed the Asociación Coral Femenina, which later merged with the Asociación Sinfónica Femenina.[9]
Torrá conducted both groups in over 200 concerts. In 1952, she founded a choir for the employees of Philips Argentina S.A., the first workers choir in Argentina.[4]