Julián Orbón

Julián Orbón (August 7, 1925, Avilés, Spain - May 21, 1991, Miami, Florida) was a Spanish/Cuban composer. He lived in Cuba from 1940 to 1960, moving to Mexico. Afterwards he became lecturer at University of Washington and the University of Miami and since 1981, at Princeton University.

He was taught by Aaron Copland in 1946, after having been awarded a grant to study at the Tanglewood Music Center. With "Tres versiones sinfónicas" ("Three Symphonic Versions") he also won in 1954 the Juan de Landaeta Prize at the International Festival of Caracas (Venezuela). In 1958, he received another grant from the Koussevitzky Foundation; thanks to that he was able to compose the "Concerto grosso" for string quartet and orchestra, one of his most important compositions, with influences of his teacher Aaron Copland and the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů.

He contributed to the adaptation of the famous Guantanamera tune with the verses of the Cuban poet José Martí.

References

* [http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Namedrill?album_group=7&name_id=98352&name_role=2 Cite of a Walter Simmons' review of a CD with Orbon works, initially published in "Fanfarre"]

Works

*"Sonata Homenaje al Padre Soler"
*Prelude and Dance, for solo guitar (1950)
*"Canción para nuestro niño"
*"Romance de Fontefrida"
*"Capricho Concertante"
*"El Pregón"
*Clarinet Quintet
*Symphony in C (1945)
*String Quartet (1951)
*Three Symphonic Versions (1954)
*"Himnus ad Galli Cantum" (1956)
*Symphonic Dances (1957)
*Concerto Grosso (1958)
*"Tres Cantigas del Rey" (1960)
*"Monte Geelbré", Cantata(1962)
*"Partitas" 1, 2 and 3 (1963)
*"Fantasía Tiento"
*"Liturgia en tres días"
*"Homenaje a la Tonadilla"