Sergio Ortega

Sergio Ortega Alvarado ( born February 2, 1938 in Antofagasta, Chile, † 15 September 2003 in Paris, France), was a Chilean composer and pianist.

Sergio Ortega was born in Antofagasta in Chile. The National Conservatory of the Universidad de Chile, he studied composition with Gustavo Becerra Schmidt. After graduating, he worked at the Institute of Musical extension and for six years as a sound engineer at the Teatro Antonio Varas, the experimental theater of the University. Ortega can be expected to the left movement in Chile. So he composed, for example, President Salvador Allende's election campaign song Venceremos ( " We shall overcome " ) and wrote the world's well-known resistance anthem El pueblo unido jamás será vencido ( " The united people will never be defeated "). He also wrote the hymns of the Partido Radical ( Radical Party ), the Juventudes Comunistas (Communist Youth) and the Central Unica de Trabajadores. Finally, he turned Salvador Allende's political program in the version by Julio Rojas in a song entitled Canto al Programa.

He wrote some of the central works of the movement Nueva Canción Chilena ( New Chilean songs), a combination of different rhythms and styles with a strong social background. His work includes poems, cantatas, operas, songs and soundtracks. Among his most famous works are the songs El monte y el rio ( " The mountain and the river "), with a text by Nicolás Guillén and Les deux mers ( "The Two Seas" ), and a trilogy about the French Revolution.

Ortega wrote a large number of songs for the theater. One of his last works was an opera to the epic poem Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta ( " gloss and Death of Joaquin Murieta " ) by his friend Pablo Neruda. Together with Gustavo Becerra he was working on a musical version of Neruda's Canto General, which was premiered in 1970 by the Chilean band Aparcoa. 1978 Ortega wrote a cantata to Neruda's Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, 1810. Poema Sonoro para el padre de mi patria ( " homage to the father of my country ") for the liberator of Chile. Ortega worked with his eldest son, Chan Aral Ortega on an opera version of Pedro Páramo, a novel by Mexican author Juan Rulfo.

1969 Ortega became professor of composition at the conservatory. A year later, in 1970, he took over the management of the television station of the University, which he continued until 1973. After the coup in Chile in 1973 he fled to France, where he lived until his death. 1978 Ortega visited the USSR, took part in the festival " Red carnation " part. 1983 to enter Chile, he was again allowed, of which he made several times use.

During his exile Ortega headed the Ecole Nationale de Musique in Pantin in France. At his studies and master classes participated Gustavo Baez, Mirtru Escalona - Mijares, Christine Groult, Adolfo Kaplan, Sergey Kutanin, Arthur Lavilla, Clem Mounkala, Chan Aral Ortega - Miranda, Martin Pavlovsky, Claire Melanie Sinnhuber and others.

He died at the age of 65 years on 15 September 2003 in Paris from pancreatic cancer, four days after the 30th anniversary of the coup. His grave is located in Chile.

• Chilean composer
• Classic pianist
• Born in 1938
• Died in 2003
• Man