Jesús de Monasterio

Jesús de Monasterio studied at Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Training under Charles Auguste de Bériot is recorded. Enrique Fernández Arbós and Pedro de Urrutia y Cruz are recorded as having studied under Jesús de Monasterio. The recorded working language is Spanish.

De Monasterio was born in Potes, Cantabria. He began studying the violin with his father, an amateur violinist, and he continued learning in Valladolid with José Ortega Zapata. His first public performance was in 1843, during which he astonished the audience with his violin abilities at such a young age. According to the review of that concert in the magazine La Iberia Musical y Literaria, "He caused an inexplicable admiration with the prodigies that he made playing the violin: this little angel, smaller than the instrument he had in hand, was crowned and named partner of merit among a thousand demonstrations of general approval. This innocent child has surprised us, because it is an almost incredible phenomenon seeing so much disposition at so tender an age". He then moved to Madrid to pursue his studies, and received a pension and a violin after playing a concert for the Infanta Isabel de Borbón. During his early formative years numerous press references about him were written in several musical magazines and he was named emeritus partner of several lyceums. After his father's death in mid 1845, his tutor Basilio Montoya got Monasterio the opportunity to study with Bériot in the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he studied harmony with Lemmens, counterpoint with Fétis and completed his literary education with his friend and protector Gevaert. In 1852, he got the Prix extraordinaire at the Conservatoire, which had been delayed because of Monasterio's young age.

After successfully finishing his studies in Brussels he returned to Madrid to be named honorary violinist of the Capilla Real de Madrid. Then he continued his career as a virtuoso being invited to festivals in England and Scotland and playing with the most influential musicians at that time, like Marie Pleyel or Heinrich Ernst. It was especially admired in London, where he was compared with the most important violinists of his generation. He also played in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany (where he played his own violin concerto in a recital with Giacomo Meyerbeer). On these tours he used to play some of his own compositions like the Fantasía Característica Española or Adiós a la Alhambra.

• Nocturno (1852, revised 1874) • Adiós a la Alhambra, Op. 12 (1855) • Grande fantasie nationale sur des airs populaires espagnoles (1855) • Pequeña fantasía de de salón, Op. 24 (1860) • Fiebre de amor (1867) • Melodía (1874) • Sierra Morena (1877–83, revised in 1894)

• Fantasía original española (Fantasía característica española) (1853, revised in 1881) • Adiós a la Alhambra (1855) • Grande fantasie nationale sur des airs populaires espagnoles (1855) • Violin Concerto (1859, rev. 1880)

• Veinte estudios artísticos de concierto (1878)

• Adiós a la Alhambra, Op. 12 (1855) • Andante melódico • Marcha fúnebre y triumfal (1864) • Scherzo fantástico (1865, rev, 1866) • Andante religioso (1872) • Estudio de concierto (1874) • Melodía (1876) • Andantino expresivo

• La violeta (1849) • Tristeza. Romanza sin palabras (1861, rev. 1893) • Scherzo fantástico (4 hands) (1875) • Adiós a la Alhambra (1897)

• La violette et le camélia (1855) • Las dos hermanas, Op. 16 (1857) • Acuérdate de Mí (1857) • El cautivo (1860) • El trueque (1861) • Salve para tiple y contralto (1863) • El cristiano moribundo (1867) • Desconsuelo de una madre (1867) • Sí, recuerdo (1868)

• Le retour des matelots (1855) • El regreso a la patria (1860) • Amor de madre (1870)

• Ave verum corpus. Motete a tres voces • Salve a 4 voces, con acompañamiento de órgano (o piano) op. 30 • Salve a 4 voces, con acompañamiento de orquesta op. 30 • Plegaria a la Santísima Cruz (1872) • Véante mis ojos (1882) • Requiescat in pace (1882) • Álbum de la S.A.R. la Srma. Sra. Infanta Dª. Isabel de Borbón (1883) • O vos omnes (1883) • Cántico a la Santísima Virgen, a dos voces con acompañamiento de órgano o piano (1884) • Plegaria a 4 voces solas (1886) • O sacrum Convivium, Motete al Santísimo Sacramento, para tenor con acompañamiento de órgano (1897) • Invitatio Christum Regem saeculorum (1903)

Jesús de Monasterio was recorded at birth as Jesús de Monasterio y Agüeros. The authorities additionally record the headings Jesús de Monasterio y Agüeros and Jesus de Monasterio. His recorded language was Spanish.