Conchita Espinosa

Conchita Espinosa (February 23, 1914 – September 19, 2006) was a world-renowned pianist who combined academics and the arts to create an educational style that exists today at Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami, Florida.

Her motto: “To reach a child's soul one must know him, guide him and especially, love him.”

At the age of 14, Espinosa graduated from the “Conservatorio Internacional de Música” in Havana as a professor of piano and music theory. She continued her music education with renowned professors and artists Joaquín Nin, Ernesto Berumen and Jasha Fishermann. Espinosa performed concerts in Mexico, Cuba and the U.S.

In 1933, at the age of 19, she founded “La Academia Musical Conchita Espinosa” in Havana. By 1959, at the end of Batista's pro-Western rule, the Academy – which included an elementary school and music and dance programs - had 450 students. Three decades later, after leaving Fidel Castro's Cuba and arriving in Miami, Espinosa continued her life´s work as a teacher of music.

In 1963, she opened Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami, in the garage of a small home in the neighborhood that would later become Little Havana. The Academy grew in enrollment, until, in 1984, it moved to a 10-acre parcel. The school now serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.

During her extensive career, Espinosa received many honors including the Richard and Dorothy Lear Memorial “Distinguished Educator Award” (March 1994) and the “Legacy of Excellence Award” presented by General Motors during the 1999 Hispanic Heritage Festival. Additionally, she received “Conchita Espinosa Day” proclamations from both the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County. In 2001, S.W. 6th street – which fronts Conchita Espinosa Academy – was named “Conchita Espinosa Way.” The last honor presented to Espinosa was the prestigious Medalla de Excelencia Nacional Cubana from the Instituto de San Carlos de Cayo Hueso in May 2006.

Reference
* from the Conchita Espinosa Academy official site

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