Orbón, Julián (1925–1991)

Julián Orbón (b. 7 August 1925; d. 20 May 1991), Cuban composer, essayist, and educator. Orbón received his musical education in Spain, Cuba, and the United States, where he studied with Aaron Copland. In Havana he was a member of the Grupo Renovación Musical (1942–1949) and director of the Orbón Conservatory from 1946 until 1960, when he left Cuba. After teaching in Mexico from 1960 to 1963, he moved to New York City, where he taught composition at Columbia University. A composer of orchestral, piano, and choral works, he received commissions from various foundations. His compositions earned numerous prizes and were selected for inclusion in international festivals. Although he occasionally employed Cuban elements, his wide musical interests, originally rooted in the Spanish tradition, ranged from neoclassic to a restrained romantic expression.

See alsoMusic: Popular Music and Dance .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Guillermo Espinosa, ed., "Julián Orbón: Classified Chronological Catalog of Works by the Cuban Composer," in Composers of the Americas, vol. 6 (1960), pp. 83-87.

Gérard Béhague, Music in Latin America: An Introduction (1979), pp. 260-261.

Aurelio De La Vega, "Julián Orbón," in New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980).

Velia Yedra, Julián Orbón: A Biographical and Critical Essay (1990).

Additional Bibliography

Estrada, Julio. "Tres perspectivas de Julián Orbón." Pauta: Cuadernos de Teoría y Crítica Musical 6:21 (January-March, 1987): 74-104.

Mata, Eduardo. "Julián Orbón: Hacia una música latin-oamericana." Pauta: Cuadernos de Teoría y Crítica Musical 5:19 (July-September, 1986): 15-24.

Orbón, Julián. En la esencia de los estilos y otros ensayos. Spain: Editorial Colibrí, 2000.

Orovio, Helio. Diccionario de la música cubana. Havana, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1992.

                                             Otto Olivera