| José Enrique Pedreira | |
|---|---|
Composer of Puerto Rican danzas. |
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| Born | José Enrique Pedreira February 2, 1904 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | January 6, 1959 (aged 54) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Occupation | Composer 1."Siempre" |
José Enrique Pedreira (February 2, 1904 – January 6, 1959) was a Puerto Rican composer noted for danzas.
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Pedreira was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, into a family that belonged to San Juan's "High Society". The family sent him to the best private schools on the island at the time and at a young age had him take private music lessons. In 1922, he graduated from high school and was sent to New York City, by his parents, to continue his musical education.[1] There, he enrolled in the music school of Segismundo Stojowski where he learned piano and music composition. It was there that he met a fellow student who was to become his wife, Alicia Hutchinson.[2]
In 1932, Pedreira returned to Puerto Rico with his wife and established the Pedreira Academy of Music in San Juan. He gave piano lessons while she (a violinist) gave violin lessons. During his spare time he composed music and danzas for piano, violin and cello.[2]
José Enrique Pedreira died on January 6, 1959 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1985, Pedreira was posthumously inducted into the Danza Composers Hall of Fame located in the town of San German, Puerto Rico.[1]
Pedreira received many awards and recognitions during his lifetime. Some of the institutions that honored him were: