Special Collections
Finding Aids > Cuban Heritage Collection > Manuel Ochoa Papers > Finding Aid By Beata Bergen June 2011 with assistance of Sofía Ochoa
Title: Manuel Ochoa Papers, circa 1925-2006
ID: CHC0487
Creator: Ochoa, Manuel
Extent: 29.0 Boxes
Arrangement: The papers are arranged in five series.
Formats/Genres: Photographs, Sheet music
Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian
The papers document professional activities of Manuel Ochoa, Cuban exile musician and choral and orchestra conductor who founded the Miami Symphony Orchestra. The materials consist of correspondence, published and unpublished musical scores, photographs, concert programs and pamphlets, clippings, writings about classical music, minutes of the meetings, concert papers, memorabilia, diplomas, magazines, scrapbooks and working papers of Miami Symphony Orchestra.
Manuel Ochoa was born on October 6, 1926 in Holguin, Cuba. In 1950, he graduated from the International Conservatory of Music in Havana, and subsequently he studied at the Real Conservatorio de Madrid from 1954 to 1956. He perfected his conducting technique under tutorage of a world famous conductor, Herman Scherchen in Vienna in 1957, and under the guidance of Bonaventura Somma at Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome in 1958.
His major artisitc contributions include performing as a Guest Conductor for Orchestra and Choir of the National Radio in Madrid between 1954 and 1956. He was also Guest Conductor at the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra between 1959 and 1966 and he toured through Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria between 1966 and 1968.
Between 1968 and 1987, he founded and became General Director and Orchestra Conductor for the Society of Arts and Culture of Americas in Miami. The Society made a major contribution to the cultural development of the South Florida area and received public recognition from the City of Miami and Dade County for outstanding cultural achievement.
From 1988, he held a position of Music Director and Orchestra Conductor for Sociedad Pro Arte Grateli (Gran Teatro Lirico). In 1989 he founded the Miami Symphony of which he was artistic director and a conductor until 2006.
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions: Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. Please, contact chc@miami.edu for more information.
Acquisition Method: Gift of María Sofía Ochoa, 1995. Material was added in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Preferred Citation: Manuel Ochoa Papers, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida
Finding Aid Revision History: The collection-level record created by Beata Bergen, October 2009.
