Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

Spain

Birth

:

September 25, 1886 in Vitoria, Alava, Spain

Death

:

April 7, 1961 in Madrid, Spain

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Jesús Guridi was a Spanish composer and conductor who was born on September 25, 1886, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. He was the youngest of six children and grew up in a musical family. His father, Juan Bautista Guridi, was a music teacher and organist, and his mother, María de la Luz Aramburu, was a pianist. Guridi began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and organ with his father. At the age of 14, Guridi moved to Bilbao to study at the Escuela de Música y Declamación. He continued his studies in Madrid, where he studied composition with Conrado del Campo and Joaquín Rodrigo. In 1911, he won a scholarship to study in Paris, where he studied with Vincent d'Indy and Charles-Marie Widor. Guridi's early works were influenced by the Basque folk music of his homeland. His first major work, the Basque opera "Mirentxu," premiered in 1910 and was a huge success. The opera tells the story of a young Basque girl who falls in love with a Frenchman, and the conflict that arises between their two cultures. The opera's music is infused with Basque folk melodies and rhythms, and it remains one of Guridi's most popular works. In addition to his work as a composer, Guridi was also a respected conductor. He served as the conductor of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra from 1922 to 1937, and later conducted the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra. He was also a professor of composition at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. Guridi's music is characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and use of folk melodies. In addition to "Mirentxu," his other major works include the Basque opera "Amaya," the "Diez Melodías Vascas" for piano, and the "Homenaje a Walt Disney" for orchestra. He also wrote a number of choral works, including the "Ave Maria" and the "Tres Canciones Vascas." Guridi's music was well-received during his lifetime, and he was awarded numerous honors and awards for his contributions to Spanish music. He died on April 7, 1961, in Madrid, Spain, at the age of 74. Today, he is remembered as one of the most important composers of Basque music, and his works continue to be performed and celebrated around the world.

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