Catalina Berroa

Catalina Berroa Ojea (28 February 1849 – 23 November 1911) was a Cuban pianist, music teacher and composer. Cuba's first female conductor.{{Cite web |url=https://cimacnoticias.com.mx/noticia/catalina-berroa-primera-directora-de-orquesta-en-cuba/ |title=Catalina Berroa, primera directora de orquesta en Cuba |date=30 November 2011 |access-date=2019-12-08 |archive-date=2019-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208153647/https://cimacnoticias.com.mx/noticia/catalina-berroa-primera-directora-de-orquesta-en-cuba/ |url-status=live }} María Catalina Prudencia Román de Berroa Ojea “Catalina Berroa” Trinidad, Las Villas, Cuba. Una mujer que se constituyó en un patrimonio histórico de la enseñanza musical, reconocida también como la primera mujer que dirigió una orquesta en la isla de Cuba. She was the first female conductor in Cuba and mastered seven instruments.

Life and career

Catalina Berroa was born in Trinidad, Las Villas, and studied with local teachers to master several instruments. She operated a music academy in Trinidad where she taught students including her nephew, pianist and composer Lico Jimenez.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} She also worked as organist in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, and as organist and choir conductor of the Holy Trinity Church.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IvoQQU1QL_QC&pg=PA60 |title=The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers|first1=Julie Anne|last1=Sadie|first2=Rhian|last2=Samuel|year=1994|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=9780393034875|accessdate=26 January 2011}}

Berroa played cello in a trio with Manuel Jimenez on violin and Ana Luisa Vivanco on piano. She also performed as violinist of the Brunet Theater orchestra.{{cite book |title=Cuban music from A to Z|url=https://archive.org/details/cubanmusicfromto00orov|url-access=registration|author=Orovio, Helio|year=2004}}

Works

Berroa composed songs, guarachas, hymns and liturgical and sacred music.{{cite web|url=http://sn.cubarte-english.cult.cu/paginas/identidadHistoria/efemerides.php?dia=28&mes=2|title=Catalina Berroa|accessdate=26 January 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718163049/http://sn.cubarte-english.cult.cu/paginas/identidadHistoria/efemerides.php?dia=28&mes=2|archivedate=18 July 2011}} Selected works include:

Song The Trinity, 1867
Song, Song of Belisa and Josefa, 1902
Condemned, The Talisman, Consciousness, The appeal, Rosa Gentile, all voice and guitar
Guaracha Cerro De La Habana, cat's dinner
Conchita March
May Flowers Church Music, for horn and piano
The Virgin of Cuba, for chorus
Osalutaris, for voice and organ
Save for two voices, for voice and organ
Cecilia Waltz for piano and band
The black Michael and Flowers, for piano