 |
Herbert de CastroPanamanian composer and conductor
Date of Birth: 18.01.1905
Country:  Panama |
Content:
- The Life and Legacy of Roque Cordero
- Return to Panama and Career as a Conductor
- Further Studies and Conductorship
- Artistic Collaboration and Legacy
The Life and Legacy of Roque Cordero
Early Life and EducationRoque Jacinto Cordero was born in Panama City in 1917. His early musical training took place in his homeland, where he studied with renowned cellist Walter Myers. In 1923, he traveled to Paris to pursue further education under the tutelage of eminent composers such as Albert Roussel, Arthur Honegger, and Diran Alexanian.
Return to Panama and Career as a Conductor
After returning to Panama in 1930, Cordero dedicated himself to promoting French impressionist music through the organization of chamber concerts. In 1939, he founded the Orchestra of the Music Society, and in 1941, he established the National Symphony Orchestra of Panama, becoming its first director.
Further Studies and Conductorship
Seeking to enhance his conducting skills, Cordero traveled to New York in 1944 to study with renowned conductor Jean Morel. He returned to Panama in 1947 and resumed his leadership of the National Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1964. During this time, he also taught at the Panama Conservatory.
Artistic Collaboration and Legacy
Throughout his career, Cordero played a pivotal role in organizing tours for acclaimed musicians from around the world to perform in Panama. Among those he brought to the country were celebrated figures such as Claudio Arrau, Yehudi Menuhin, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Andrés Segovia.
Cordero's compositions, which include "Three Synagogue Songs" for soloists, choir, and orchestra, the string quartet "Film," and Prelude and Jig for Two Flutes, have left a lasting musical legacy in Panama. His contributions to the development of classical music in his country earned him recognition as one of its most distinguished composers and conductors.
