A Gran Canaria-born composer of zarzuela and regionalist music, author of a repertory that links stage writing, island identity and Canarian popular forms.
Santiago Tejera Ossavarry was a composer of zarzuela and regionalist music, author of Atlántida, Afortunadas, Folías tristes and Rapsodia canaria.
Open biographyHe was a composer, writer and music director trained in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with early studies at the seminary and a career that combined band direction, journalism and cathedral organ playing. His activity spans from early religious pieces to mature regionalist zarzuela.
His importance lies in connecting Canarian composition with zarzuela and musical regionalism, creating works that helped fix sonic imaginaries about the island and its collective memory.
His language moves from early religious and choral music to costumbrista zarzuela, regionalist symphony and Canarian rhapsody. He is an author attentive to popular melodies, theatrical forms and strongly local colouring.
The selection includes Misa solemne para coro y orquesta, Loa a Cairasco, Sinfonía por mi patria y para mi patria, Stabat Mater, La Atlántida, Las Afortunadas, Folías tristes, La hija del Mestre, Navidad, El indiano and Rapsodia canaria.
His legacy is that of a pioneer of Canarian zarzuela and regionalist composition, with repertories that remain a reference for understanding how music sought to narrate the Canaries at the beginning of the twentieth century.
His connection to the Canaries lies in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Provincial Battalion band, the cathedral and his desire to turn island popular forms into concert and stage material.
Obra temprana y su primera composición relevante.
Obra de la etapa inicial de su producción canaria.
Pieza de afirmación patriótica y regionalista.
Obra religiosa destacada dentro de su catálogo.
Sinfonía entre sus obras más importantes y ligada a imaginarios atlánticos canarios.
Zarzuela costumbrista pionera del regionalismo musical canario.
Zarzuela costumbrista y una de sus obras más conocidas.
Obra costumbrista dentro de su ciclo canario.
Comedia musical sobre la emigración y el regreso al archipiélago.
Síntesis sinfónica del regionalismo musical de su catálogo.
Villancico canario conservado en formato digitalizado y auditivo.
Nace en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Compone su primera obra relevante.
Dirige la Banda del Batallón Provincial.
Se traslada a Madrid y obtiene el número uno en la oposición de músico mayor.
Desde ese año ejerce como organista de la Catedral de Canarias.
Muere en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
