Awilda Villarini

Awilda M. Villarini-Garcia (born 6 February 1940) is a Puerto Rican composer and pianist who publishes and performs under the name “Awilda Villarini.” Villarini was born in Patillas. Her first piano teacher was her mother, who was a church organist. She went on to earn a B. Mus. (1961) from Peabody Conservatory and a M. Mus. (1973) from the Juilliard School. Grants from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture enabled Villarini to study piano in Paris and Vienna. She received a Ford Foundation scholarship for a Ph.D. from New York University in 1979. Villarini’s teachers included Claus Adam, Jean Marie Darre, Carmelina Figureoa, Alexander Gorodnitzky, William Kroll, Eugene List, Walter Panhofer, and Dieter Weber. Villarini received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1981. Villarini’s compositions include: Chamber *Three Fantastic Pieces (clarinet and piano) Orchestra *Cinquillo Dramatico *Concerto (orchestra and piano) *Legend of the Indian *Suite Portoricinses (also orchestrated) *Ten Preludes Vocal *“Dialogue” (text by Pat Parker) *Four Songs *Two Love Songs (texts by Julia de Burgos and Pablo Neruda) References