María Teresa Prieto

María Teresa Prieto (18961982) was a Spanish composer and pianist who lived and worked in Mexico. Prieto’s music was often performed in prestigious venues such as the Palacio de Bellas Artes but was largely forgotten after her death. She studied with pianist and composer Saturnino del Fresno in Asturias. In 1931, she moved to Madrid where she studied with Benito de la Parra at the Conservatory of Madrid. During this time, she was introduced to modal music which greatly influenced her later works. Exile In 1935, Prieto’s mother died, leaving her alone in Spain. Prieto went to stay with her brother Carlos in Mexico in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. During her first years in Mexico, Prieto studied with composer Manuel Ponce. She also studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College in Oakland, California, in 1946 and 1947. She returned to Spain briefly in 1958 to receive the Samuel Ross prize for Modal Quartet, but never returned to live there. Death In 1982, Prieto’s health deteriorated. She died on January 24th, 1982, in Mexico City. Compositional style During her early music education, Prieto was introduced to the works of J. S. Bach and baroque counterpoint. While studying with Ro