Creating music is an art form, an inspiration from the soul.

I have the deepest admiration for those who compose music, and also for those who play an instrument. Music is a wonderful art form, because its vibrations reach the heart; they can change our mood in many ways, lifting our spirits or having the opposite effect.

When people compose music, whether they play an instrument or not, it is like painting a blank canvas; I suppose the melodies sound in their heads just as colours appear in the minds of painters. All art forms are beautiful, because they all spring from inspiration, creativity and, I believe, the soul itself.

I remember telling my friend Claudia, who plays the piano and the guitar, that I didn’t know how to play any instrument but that I felt the music in my heart, and she replied that that’s what counts.

Almost a month ago, I heard about an unusual exhibition, as I’d never been to a show about female composers from Málaga before. I should point out that I know nothing about sheet music or musical notes, but I love music and I see the creative process as something incredible.

The exhibition was held at the Municipal Archive, which hosts around two or three exhibitions a year, so I couldn’t miss it and went during the first few days of the opening. I wanted to find out what it was all about.

There were two rooms dedicated to various female composers, and the exhibition featured a wide variety of works, ranging from paintings and drawings that adorned the space, some of which were portraits, to the composers’ sheet music, display cases filled with various artefacts, and even a darkroom where visitors could step inside, sit down and enjoy a range of sounds. Everything was designed to create a profound auditory experience, and I loved that.

A journey through the role of women in the history of musical creation from the 19th century to 20th-century composers. The focus is on leadership, cultural management skills and creative power. This exhibition is a wonderful tribute.

The rooms looked brilliant with their white walls, and then, for example, the sheet music was framed in black. A very elegant and very well presented exhibition. On different walls of the room, one of the female composers was featured; they are: Alicia Terrón, Reyes Oteo, Mari Luz Chamorro, Silvia Olivero, Carolina Cerezo and Diana Péres Custodio.

I must say that the decoration with paintings from the municipal heritage collection was excellent, perfectly suited to the exhibition, very delicate and unusual works. And I must mention that both rooms were filled with information, featuring numerous posters about the composers’ work and careers.

I found Reyes Oteo’s presentation to be one of the most original, because she is an artist who creates worlds through music. She is a composer, electronic instrument maker, inventor, visual artist, and professor at the Málaga Conservatory, with a career spanning 26 years and more than 80 symphonic and electronic works to her name.

The variety of art this woman produces is incredible, ranging from composing music to printmaking, the creation of interactive sensor instruments, optical scores and much more. The way she presents her works is utterly original and genuine.

Silvia Olivero’s presentation was a testament to her extensive career. She is from Málaga and studied at the music conservatoire, obtaining advanced diplomas in music theory, composition and orchestral conducting; she is a career civil servant specialising in the fundamentals of composition and conducts the orchestra of the city’s Higher Conservatoire of Music.

The exhibition featured many of the posters from her performances with the chamber orchestra, symphonic concerts and lectures, as well as a display case full of related leaflets and scores from her personal collection.

Upon arriving at Mari Luz Chamorro Trujillano’s presentation, I came across several drawings which I believe are portraits, as well as a display case full of the artist’s sheet music.

She studied composition and orchestration at the Málaga Conservatory of Music and is a senior lecturer in both these subjects as well as music theory. In her compositional work, she has always placed an emphasis on vocal music, driven by her passion for singing and her experience as a singer.

As for Alicia Terrón, she began her studies at the age of eight at conservatoires in Madrid, Valladolid, Badajoz and Salamanca, studying piano, guitar, clarinet, harmony, composition, pedagogy, musicology and folklore; she is now a senior lecturer in several of these subjects, as well as a choir and orchestra conductor and composer.

When it comes to Cosima Wagner, the focus is not only on her own work and career but also on that of her husband, the German composer Richard Wagner; following his death, she took over the direction of the Bayreuth Festival. She demonstrated great leadership in artistic, political and financial matters.

Several portraits of the couple were on display in the art exhibition, as well as a display case showcasing her work.

Diana Pérez Custodio was a piano accompanist at the Malaga Conservatory of Music, having passed the competitive examination, and taught other musical subjects as well as overseeing major areas such as the coordination of the electroacoustic music and music informatics laboratory.

Some of what I had read about this composer was beyond my comprehension, but what was written about her and her career was so astonishing that it filled me with wonder, even though I could grasp very little of it.

There were also many of her scores and works on display; above all, I appreciated that small, dark room where you could go in and listen to music performed on stringed and wind instruments. It was a very interesting experience.

Finally, I came to the presentation by Carolina Cerezo Dávila, a composer of experimental music, but also a teacher, director, occasional performer and developer of interdisciplinary projects with theatrical elements. In 2020, she founded the company Cuatro de tono, and has already produced five shows with them. The photographs accompanying her work are spectacular.

To be honest, I really enjoyed a completely different kind of exhibition, and although I don’t know much about music, it is art and I love it. Thank you very much for joining me today; I wish you all a very good Sunday. See you soon.
Amonet.

All photographs are my own.