Nicanor Zabaleta (January 7, 1907 – April 1, 1993)[1] was a Spanish harpist.[2]
Zabaleta was born in San Sebastián, Spain, on January 7, 1907.[3] In 1914 his father, an amateur musician, bought him a harp in an antique shop. He soon began taking lessons from Vincenta Tormo de Calvo (Madrid Conservatory faculty) and Luisa Menarguez. In 1925 he began studies in Paris, where his teachers were Marcel Tournier and Jacqueline Borot. In 1926, in Paris, he made his own official concert debut. Then he travelled to the U.S. and there, on July 5, 1934, he made his North America debut in New York City. At a concert in Puerto Rico in 1950 he met Graziela and they were married in 1952. They relocated to Spain and Zabaleta began touring Europe.[4] During the years of 1959–1962 he led a harp class on Accademia Musicale Chigiana courses in Siena.[5]
He performed mainly music of the 18th century, and also ancient and modern music.[2][6] People who composed for him include Alberto Ginastera, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre, Xavier Montsalvatge, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Walter Piston, Ernst Krenek, Joaquín Rodrigo.[4][6] Josef Tal's Concerto for Harp and Electronics was commissioned by Zabaleta in 1971, and premiered by him in Munich the same year.[7] It is estimated that Zabaleta sold nearly three million records.[4]
He was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música of Spain in 1982 and six years later, in 1988, he was elected to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
Zabaleta's final concert on June 16, 1992, in Madrid was given when his health was already declining.[4] He died on April 1, 1993, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
^"Nicanor Zabaleta Zala - DB~e". dbe.rah.es (in Spanish). Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
^ ab"Zabaleta Nicanor", Internetowa encyklopedia PWN (in Polish), archived from the original on 2007-03-19, retrieved 2007-03-18.
^Slonimsky, Nicolas (1978). "Zabaleta, Nicanor". Baker's Biographical dictionary of musicians (6th ed.). New York: Schirmer Books. p. 1933. ISBN 0-02-870240-9.
NicanorZabaleta (January 7, 1907 – April 1, 1993) was a Spanish harpist. Zabaleta was born in San Sebastián, Spain, on January 7, 1907. In 1914 his father...
composition in such a brilliant manner[citation needed]. At the request of NicanorZabaleta, Rodrigo transcribed the Concierto for harp and orchestra in 1974....
written for NicanorZabaleta, who premiered the work in Madrid on November 9, 1956; Paul Kletzki conducted the Spanish National Orchestra. Zabaleta recorded...
as Paul Badura-Skoda, Claudio Arrau, Jörg Demus, Henryck Szeryng, NicanorZabaleta, Plácido Domingo, Kurt Rydl and Alfred Brendel have performed with...
María Usandizaga, composer Sebastian de Yradier y Salaverri, composer NicanorZabaleta, musician Amaia Zubiria (born 1947), pop singer Joxe Azurmendi (born...
Beinum 1952 Ann Mason Stockton Concert Arts Ensemble Felix Slatkin 1955 NicanorZabaleta Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra Ferenc Fricsay 1956 Suzanne Cotelle...
occasion of its twentieth anniversary, and is dedicated to the harpist NicanorZabaleta, who premiered it in Madrid on October 19, 1964. The work is in one...
and chamber orchestra (1979) Album d'amis for piano (1980) Musique à NicanorZabaleta for harpe and orchestra (1981) Hommage à Lech Wałęsa for guitar (1982)...
in 1930, moved to New York City. Zubeldia met Andrés Segovia and NicanorZabaleta in New York in 1933. Both began their careers as soloists and shared...
Competition in 1988, and in 1991 won first prize at the International NicanorZabaleta Competition in Spain, also receiving the special virtuoso prize for...
day, including cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich and harpist NicanorZabaleta, with whom he recorded a disc of Baroque harp concertos for Deutsche...
1970, Ein Gev 1971 (Rev. 1980) Concerto for harp & electronic music NicanorZabaleta 1971, Johannesburg 1973 Treatise for cello Uzi Wiesel 1974, Tel Aviv...
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