Awilda M. Villarini-Garcia[1] (born 6 February 1940) is a Puerto Rican composer and pianist [2] who publishes and performs under the name "Awilda Villarini."[3]

Villarini was born in Patillas. Her first piano teacher was her mother, who was a church organist.[4] She went on to earn a B. Mus. (1961) from Peabody Conservatory and a M. Mus. (1973) from the Juilliard School.[5] Grants from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture[6] enabled Villarini to study piano in Paris and Vienna. She received a Ford Foundation scholarship for a Ph. D. from New York University in 1979.[4] Her dissertation was entitled A Study of Selected Puerto Rican Danzas for the Piano.[7] Villarini's teachers included Claus Adam, Jean Marie Darre, Carmelina Figureoa, Alexander Gorodnitzky, William Kroll, Eugene List, Walter Panhofer, and Dieter Weber.[8][9]

Villarini received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1981.[1] She was the 1985 winner of the Artist International Piano Award.[4] The late New York Times music critic Harold C. Schonberg wrote: "I have heard Liszt's Transcendental Etude in f minor by hundreds of young pianists in different piano competitions. Ms. Villarini's technique and interpretation proved to be superior to all of them. She is an exciting romantic pianist."[10]

Villarini's compositions include:

Chamber

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  • Three Fantastic Pieces (clarinet and piano)[8]
  • Variaciones sobre el Canto del Coquí (unaccompanied flute)[4]
  • Visiones (woodwind quintet)[11]

Orchestra

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  • Cinquillo Dramatico[12]
  • Concerto (orchestra and piano)[13]
  • Legend of the Indian[10]
  • Suite Portoricinses (also a piano reduction)[8]

Piano

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  • Sonata No. 1[14]
  • Suite Portoricinses (also orchestrated)[15]
  • Ten Preludes[8]
  • Three Preludes for Piano[16]

Vocal

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References

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  1. ^ a b Arts, National Endowment for the (1982). Annual Report. Division of Publications, National Endowment for the Arts.
  2. ^ "Awilda Villarini-garcia, Plaintiff, Appellee, v. Hospital Del Maestro, et al., Defendants, Appellees.mario J. Tomasini, Dr., Defendant, Appellant, 112 F.3d 5 (1st Cir. 1997)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  3. ^ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  4. ^ a b c d Hernández-Candelas, Ana Maria (2015). Flute Music by Latin American Women Composers: A Performance Guide of the Works of Awilda Villarini, Adina Izarra, Gabriela Ortiz and Angélica Negrón. dissertation.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "Awilda Villarini". Díaz-Del Moral Foundation. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  6. ^ Rico, Puerto (1979). Acts and Resolutions of Puerto Rico. Equity de Puerto Rico.
  7. ^ Phelps, Roger P. (1980). A guide to research in music education (2d ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1303-3. OCLC 6143653.
  8. ^ a b c d e Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Directory of Hispanic Artists and Organizations: Dance, Literary, Media, Music, Theatre, Service Org., Visual Arts. Association of Hispanic Arts. 1981.
  10. ^ a b c d "Awilda Villarini: Dancing in Latin America". Tower Records. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  11. ^ "V". Brandt's Woodwind Quintet Site. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  12. ^ Aha!: Hispanic Arts News : a Publication of the Association of Hispanic Arts, Inc. The Association. 2001.
  13. ^ Ficher, Miguel; Schleifer, Martha Furman; Furman, John M. (2002). Latin American Classical Composers: A Biographical Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4517-6.
  14. ^ Ear. New Wilderness Foundation. 1988.
  15. ^ Horowitz, Joseph (16 September 1979). "Awilda Villarini, Pianist, Displays Assertive Style". New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  16. ^ 21st Century Music. 21st-Century Music. 2003.