Relationships
The impact of the relationships Orrego-Salas enjoyed with his family, students, other composers, and musicians is visible throughout his compositions and life. It can be found in his dedications and comments at the end of his works, as well as in correspondence, in dedications to him from students and colleagues, and photographs showing his connections with fellow composers, musicians, and loved ones.
In 1946, the Eastman School of Music's annual symposium of American orchestral music included Orrego-Salas's Cantata de Navidad, with his sister Teresa Orrego-Salas as the soprano soloist. In this photograph of a rehearsal, composer Howard Hanson is seated at the piano, while behind him (left to right) are Jeanne Boyd, Seth Bingham, Tom Scott, Leo Kraft, Teresa Orrego-Salas, and Juan Orrego-Salas.
A handwritten dedication from Orrego-Salas to his father reads, “To my dear father in memory of the first edition of my music, Juan Orrego-Salas 1948.”
Orrego-Salas stands with his teacher and mentor, the composer Domingo Santa Cruz.
Domingo Santa Cruz was the dedicatee of Juan Orrego-Salas's Symphony no. 1.
Juan Orrego-Salas stands with a pipe in his hand with fellow Latin American musicians including Alfonso Montecino and Roque Cordero. Montecino, a Chilean pianist and composer, taught piano at Indiana University School of Music. Panamanian composer Cordero served as the assistant director of the Latin American Music Center for three years, beginning in 1966 and served on the composition faculty at Indiana University.
Orrego-Salas dedicated his 1967 piece, Sonata para piano, op. 60, to his friends Siri and Alfonso Montecino. Listen here for a 1984 recording of Alfonso Montecino playing the work dedicated to him.
Indiana University School of Music Dean Emeritus and pianist, Charles H. Webb sits at the piano while Juan Orrego-Salas and cellist Janos Starker look over his shoulder. Here they are rehearsing Orrego-Salas's Balada for cello and piano, op. 84 at Starker's house.
Orrego-Salas received this score from his student Ricardo Lorenz with the handwritten dedication, “Para mi queridísimo maestro Juan Orrego-Salas, con todo el respeto y admiración… “Tropicalicémonos!!” Ricardo Lorenz 6/25/85.”
Later, Lorenz dedicated his work Pataruco to Orrego-Salas with the words, “Completed on January 18, 1999 and dedicated to Juan Orrego-Salas in celebration of his 80th birthday.”
During his time at Indiana University, Orrego-Salas came in contact with many musicians from Latin America, including Venezuelan conductor and scholar Carmen-Helena Téllez, who later became a director of the Latin American Music Center (1992-2012).
Panamanian composer Roque Cordero (left) chatting with Orrego-Salas.
Aaron Copland signed this portrait of himself with a dedication that reads, “For Juan Orrego colleague and friend – Aaron Copland – April ’46.”
Orrego-Salas dedicated his Variations for a Quiet Man, op. 79 to Aaron Copland on the occasion of Copland’s 80th birthday.
After meeting at Tanglewood, Aaron Copland and Juan Orrego-Salas maintained a relationship that can be seen in letters, dedications, and photographs over the decades. This includes Orrego-Salas's dedication of Variations for a Quiet Man to Copland. To Orrego-Salas, Copland dedicated the song, “Dear March, come in!” from his song cycle Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson.
Orrego-Salas at the Tanglewood Music Festival with other musicians and composers. Front row (left to right): Argentinian pianist, Estevez, Bernstein, Orbón, Buenaventura, Ginastera. Back row (left to right): Foss, Tosar, Orrego-Salas, Irving Fine.