Conchita Espinosa
Encyclopedia
Conchita Espinosa was a world-renowned pianist who combined academics and the arts to create an educational style that exists today at Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami, Florida.
. She began formal piano lessons when she was five. At the age of 14, Espinosa graduated from the Conservatorio Internacional de Música in Havana
as a professor of piano and music theory
. She continued her music education with renowned professors and artists Joaquín Nin
, Ernesto Berumen
and Jascha Fishermann. Espinosa performed concerts in Mexico
, Cuba and the United States
. By 1959, at the end of Batista
's pro-Western rule, the Academy – which included an elementary school and music and dance programs – had 450 students. Three decades later, after leaving Fidel Castro
's Cuba and arriving in Miami, Espinosa continued her life's work as a teacher of music.
In 1963, she opened Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami, in the garage of a small home in the neighborhood that would later become Little Havana. The Academy grew in enrollment, until, in 1984, it moved to a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel. The school now serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Conchita Espinosa Academy is now directed by her daughter, Maribel Diaz.
during the 1999 Miami Hispanic Heritage Festival. Additionally, she received “Conchita Espinosa Day” proclamations from both the City of Miami
and Miami-Dade County
(:. In 2001, SW 6th street – which fronts Conchita Espinosa Academy – was named “Conchita Espinosa Way.” The last honor presented to Espinosa before her death was the prestigious Medalla de Excelencia Nacional Cubana from the Instituto de San Carlos de Cayo Hueso in May 2006.
Early life and education
When Conchita was three years old, she played popular Cuban melodies on the piano by ear for the first time in an ice cream parlorIce cream parlor
Ice cream parlors are places that sell ice cream and frozen yogurt to consumers. Ice cream is normally sold in two varieties in these stores: soft-serve ice cream , and hard-packed, which has an assortment of flavors, as well as frozen yogurt, which is a low-fat alternative and tastes slightly...
. She began formal piano lessons when she was five. At the age of 14, Espinosa graduated from the Conservatorio Internacional de Música in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
as a professor of piano and music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
. She continued her music education with renowned professors and artists Joaquín Nin
Joaquin Nin
Joaquín Nin y Castellanos was a Spanish-Cuban pianist and composer.-Biography:Nin studied piano with Moritz Moszkowski and composition at the Schola Cantorum . He toured as a pianist and was known as a composer and arranger of popular Spanish folk music...
, Ernesto Berumen
Ernesto Berumen
Ernesto Berumen was a Mexican best known for his skill as a pianist. Berumen studied piano in Leipzig and Vienna, settling in New York in 1917, months before the United States entered World War I. In New York he was known for the annual concerts he gave at the city's Aeolian Hall. He is cited as...
and Jascha Fishermann. Espinosa performed concerts in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Cuba and the United States
Career
In 1933, at the age of 19, she founded “La Academia Musical Conchita Espinosa” in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. By 1959, at the end of Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
's pro-Western rule, the Academy – which included an elementary school and music and dance programs – had 450 students. Three decades later, after leaving Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's Cuba and arriving in Miami, Espinosa continued her life's work as a teacher of music.
In 1963, she opened Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami, in the garage of a small home in the neighborhood that would later become Little Havana. The Academy grew in enrollment, until, in 1984, it moved to a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) parcel. The school now serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Conchita Espinosa Academy is now directed by her daughter, Maribel Diaz.
Awards
During her extensive career, Espinosa received many honors including the Richard and Dorothy Lear Memorial “Distinguished Educator Award” (March 1994) and the “Legacy of Excellence Award” presented by General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
during the 1999 Miami Hispanic Heritage Festival. Additionally, she received “Conchita Espinosa Day” proclamations from both the City of Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
(:. In 2001, SW 6th street – which fronts Conchita Espinosa Academy – was named “Conchita Espinosa Way.” The last honor presented to Espinosa before her death was the prestigious Medalla de Excelencia Nacional Cubana from the Instituto de San Carlos de Cayo Hueso in May 2006.