Maria Teresa Oller

María Teresa Oller was a Spanish composer and folklorist who devoted her life to collecting, transcribing, and disseminating the traditional music of the Valencian Community. She was born in Valencia in 1920 into a musical family. She studied piano and composition at the Conservatori Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo and became a favorite disciple of Manuel Palau, a prominent composer and musicologist. She also studied with other renowned musicians such as Ernet Jarnack, Walker Wagenheim, and Rafael Benedito. She obtained an extraordinary prize in both piano and composition and a grant from the Diputación de Valencia to perfect her studies. Oller began her fieldwork in the 1950s, following Palau's advice and guidance. She visited many towns and villages in the province of Valencia, recording and documenting the songs, dances, and melodies of the local people. She also researched and transcribed polyphonic music from the 16th to 18th centuries in the archives of the Valencia Cathedral and the Real Colegio Seminario del Corpus Christi . She published her findings in various journals and books, such as Cuadernos de música folclórica valenciana and Cancionero musical de la provincia de Valencia . She also made numerous recordings of traditional Valencian music for radio and discography. Oller was also a composer herself, although she never performed her works in public. She composed mainly chamber music, vocal music, and piano pieces, influenced by her folkloric research and her admiration for Joaquín Rodrigo, whom she considered her master. Some of her works are Fantasía para piano y orquesta , Tres canciones valencianas , and Suite para piano . Oller was a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de Valencia since 1986. She received several awards and honors for her contribution to Valencian culture, such as the Joaquín Rodrigo Prize [^10^], the Premio Nacional de Cultura Tradicional Valenciana , and the Medalla al Mérito Cultural del Ayuntamiento de Valencia . She also taught harmony at the Conservatori Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo until her retirement at 65. She founded and directed the Agrupación Vocal de Cámara de Valencia and the Coral Polifónica Valentina . She was an advisor to the Coro Popular and the Grupo de Danzas of Lo Rat Penat and the head of the Musicology Section of the same institution. Oller died on September 2, 2018 at the age of 97. She was widely respected and admired for her dedication, passion, and generosity. She once said: I have always worked with enthusiasm because I love what I do. I have never sought fame or money. I have only wanted to serve my land and its music.