Emilia Conde

Puerto Rican singer, pianist, guitarist, and composer. Born September 2, 1930/31 Puerto Rico (Born of French & Spanish parents). Died February 28, 1998 (aged 66 or 67) Palm Beach, Florida. She studied classical piano, harmony, theory and voice at the Eastman School of Music. She began her singing career as a protege of Pablo Casals and was encouraged to develop her voice by Jose lturbi and Alexander Schneider. After graduating from the Eastman School, Emilia played piano concerts at New York's Carnegie and Town Halls and later performed as a soloist with various symphony orchestras. Frequently accompanying herself on guitar, she included a wide range in her repertoire, from rock 'n' roll to the classics. She was the composer of many songs, including the scores and lyrics for two children's musicals written by Toni Mulett: The Magical Forest (also performed in Spanish as El Conejito Azul), and Toys Without Children. After a head injury in 1988, Conde began to experience memory loss and impaired coordination. She was determined to maintain her career, and continued teaching and performing until 1992.