Celia Torrá

Celia Torrá (18 September 1889 – 16 December 1962) was an Argentine composer, conductor, and violinist. She was the first woman to conduct an orchestra at the Teatro Colón.

Torrá was born in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Rios, Argentina. Her father was her first violin teacher. She later studied music with Andres Gaos, Athos Palma, and Alberto Williams.

In 1909, she won a National Commission of Fine Arts prize which funded her studies in Europe with Vincent d'Indy, Jenő Hubay, Zoltán Kodály, Paul Le Flem, and César Thomson. She won the Royal Conservatory of Brussels' Grand Prix for violin in 1911. The Entre Rios provincial government gave her a grant to continue her studies in Europe. She remained in France during World War I, where she gave benefit concerts for the Red Cross.

In 1921, Torrá returned to Argentina where she was the first female conductor at the Teatro Colón. In 1930, she founded and directed the Asociación Coral Femenina, which later merged with the Asociación Sinfónica Femenina.

Torrá conducted both groups in over 200 concerts. In 1952, she founded a choir for the employees of Philips Argentina S.A., the first workers choir in Argentina. Provided by Wikipedia