Marisa Robles (born May 4, 1937) is a Spanish harpist and composer. She was born in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, where she studied the harp with Luisa Menarguez, and studied music at the

Madrid Conservatory The Madrid Royal Conservatory ( es, Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid) is a music college in Madrid, Spain. History The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mosten ...

, graduating at the age of sixteen in 1953. She made her concert debut at seventeen, performing with flautist

Jean-Pierre Rampal Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal (7 January 1922 – 20 May 2000) was a French flautist. He has been personally "credited with returning to the flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th century." Biography Ea ...

. The Concerto for Flute and Harp by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

which they performed together was to become the piece for which she is best known. She has recorded and performed it with

James Galway Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstan ...

and with her husband

Christopher Hyde-Smith Christopher Hyde-Smith (born 11 March 1935) is a flautist. Christopher Hyde-Smith's flute playing has been compared in ''The Guardian'' to Sir Laurence Olivier's acting in variety of expression, characterization and style. He has played all over ...

, among others. In 1963 she premiered ''Sones en la Giralda'' on the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

, a wedding present written for her by

Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical ...

. In 1981, she wrote the music for a set of audiobooks of the

Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been adapted for radio, tel ...

, narrated by Sir Michael Hordern. This was released as her ''Narnia Suite'' in 1981, with Robles playing harp and her husband the flute. In 1958 she married, and in 1960 she came to live permanently in the UK. In 1971 she became a professor of harp in the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

.She now has three children, St. John Harvey, Grania Hyde-Smith and Alexander Hyde-Smith. Robles was artistic director for the first two Cardiff World Harp Festivals in 1991 and 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robles, Marisa 1937 births Living people Spanish classical harpists Academics of the Royal College of Music Madrid Royal Conservatory alumni