José Zapiola

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José Zapiola Cortés (1802-1885) was a Chilean musician, composer and orchestra conductor.

Zapiola was born in Santiago, the illegitimate son of the Argentinian lawyer Bonifacio Zapiola y Lezica and of the Chilean Carmen Cortés. He early showed a great talent for music and studied with Fray Antonio Briseño between 1812 and 1815. He learned by himself to play the clarinet in 1819, with the support and help of Danish businessman and music lover Carlos Drewetcke. He then trained as a silversmith with Elías Espejo. His parents sent him to Buenos Aires in 1824 to study harmony and composition.

On his return in 1826, he participated in the campaign of Chiloe as band-master of the 7th regiment, and in 1830, on the arrival of the first operatic company in Chile, whose orchestra-leader had died, Zapiola was called to take his place and soon acquired fame, so that he was called repeatedly to Lima to lead the orchestra of the opera there.

In 1850, Zapiola participated in the "Sociedad de la Igualdad" (Egalitarian Society), a club created by Rafael Arcos Arlegui and Francisco Bilbao, which was a utopian socialist attempt, with deeply romantic overtones. The society was founded in Santiago on April 14, 1850, based on the ideals of the French Revolution of 1848. The membership was composed primarily of artisans and young people of middle and high class background.

In 1852, Zapiola was appointed director of the newly founded Conservatory of Music at Santiago, where he taught many artists, and he may be called the creator of the musical art in Chile. He founded in 1853 the weekly El Semanario Musical and was co-editor of the Estrella de Chile.

In 1864, was appointed director of the choir of the cathedral, which post he held until his death.

His best musical compositions are Domine ad adjuvandum me (1835), a Requiem (1836), Himno al triunfo de Yungay (1840), and Himno a San Martin (1842). He also wrote a book of historical incidents and sketches of Chilean customs, Recuerdos de treinta años (2 vols., Santiago, 1872-76).

Zapiola died in Santiago in 1885.