Luis URTEAGA (1882 - 1960)

Born in Ordizia, a town close to Donostia - San Sebastian, he did his first musical studies in his home town and in Donostia but his true master was Martín Rodríguez, the Pamplona born organist and composer, with whom he fisrt started studying in Ordizia in 1900 and then followed to Balmaseda at the other end of the Basque Country in 1901. From Balmaseda he moved on to become organist at various tonws until in 1920 he became organist of the San Vicente parrish church in Donostia where he remained until he death in 1960, playing, composing and specially teaching.  Once his works started being published both in Spain at the Tesoro Sacro Musical, or abroad in the USA or by Diebold, Otto Gauss or Joubert in Europe, his reputation quickly spread and at one point he was being called the Basque Bach. He wrote mostly organ and choral liturgical music but he was also an accomplished txistu (Basque flute) player and for this instrument he went on to write some of its most memorable music.

His son Juan Urteaga also  was a recognised organ concertist and choral conductor.

DISCOGRAPHY

Luis Urteaga's best know, or most, played organ work, his Fantasía Religiosa, we have edited in several of our organ CDs. He have also edited these two other titles:

aArus052 Luis Urteaga—Hilario Olazaran.
Txistu Hirukoterako Musika - Música para trío de txistus
Luis Urteaga: Iztillargia; Urrundik;. Rapsodia Nº 2.
Hilario Olazaran: Txoriak; Eguberria; Harkaitzak.
YOKU TALDEA.

aArus067 Luis Urteaga—Antologia.
Una hora (Coral Sine Nomine); Cuatro Piezas del Organo Contemporáneo Vasco (Juan Urteaga); Ofertorio sobre Puer Natus est; Allegro; Plegaria (Aitor Olea); Iztillargi - Urrundik (for Txistu Band); Final (Aitor Olea) 

Juan Urteaga and Aitor Olea, organ - Yoku Taldea, Txistu Band


 

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