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The Bolivian pianist, harpschordist and conductor, Elizabeth Schwimmer Carrillo, was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia to a Jewish family of Hungarian descent. She was the oldest of four children: Carlos, Silvia, Sandra and Ruth. She began her musical studies with Professors Norah Gil and María D'Angelo. Her family emigrated to Mexico in May 1971. There she began a new stage of her life.she entered the Ingresé a la Escuela de música de la Universidad de Guadalajara (Music School of the University of Guadalajara), where she studied with the teachers Amalia García de León and Leonor Montijo, while, at the same time, she was doing her secondary studies. In 1977, she graduated almost simultaneously from Bachiller de la extinta Universidad Femenina de Guadalajara (Bachelor of the extinct Feminine University of Guadalajara) where she obtained a diploma in Technique in Social Work and Communication while receiving her Diploma of Music Instructor. Those 6 years she lived in Mexico, before leaving in 1978 to the USA to continue her professional career in music, gave her the basis for the rest of her life: abundant concerts as a soloist and accompanist, chamber music, theater, pedagogy and experiences. She studied piano with Professor Tamas Ungar and harpsichord with William Tinker, in the music department of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, USA. In 1981, she won a scholarship to study in Vienna (Austria) at the Institute of European Studies, where she had as a piano teacher Agnes Grossmann. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano from the Texas Christian University (1978-1982). From 1982 to 1984, she worked as a teacher at the Academia Musical W.A. Mozart de Guadalajara (Music Academy W.A. Mozart in Guadalajara), teaching piano, theory, harmony, counterpoint and solfege. She obtained her Master of Music degree in Piano from University of Hartford Hartt School in West Hartford, Connecticut (1984-1986).
After finishing her studies, Elizabeth Schwimmer went to London, where the reality of the life and survival of the musician is clearer. In 1988, she returned to Bolivia returned to Bolivia after an absence of 18 years, supposedly for a year, but remained there for most of the rest of her life. This country with all its miseries and surprising situations that border on the magic, caught her. It is where she finally managed to capture what she was on this planet for. She took charge of the “Fundación Arnoldo Schwimmer” (Arnoldo Schwimmer Foundation), which belonged to her uncle. Since Jjuly 1996, she promoted through this institution activities to promote culture and art. She gave concerts in Bolivian, USA, Austrian and Mexican stages.
In September 2007, Elizabeth Schwimmer, together with the German flautist Benjamin Kiersch, started a festival dedicated to the interpretation and study of the music of the great J.S. Bach. On March 6, 2008, BachFest Cochabamba, the first Bach Festival in Bolivia (and and maybe the first in South America), took place with the participation of 60 musicians, both Bolivians and some foreigners invited to participate in the festival. During a whole month, the Bolivian public enjoyed J.S. Bach’s music. The BachFest Chorale was created, a small chamber choir of 16 members. Also, the BachFest Ensemble was formed. The festival was a big success, with full house concerts in every event. She continued her activity as the Artistic Director and main organizer of BachFest Cochabamba annualy until 2017. She was interested also in the Jewish culture in South America, specially in Bolivia where many people came from Europe escaping from the Wars.
Elizabeth Schwimmer suffered for a few years from a malignant tumor in the brain. She was operated in 2016 due to this problem in Guadalajara, Mexico, where her sister lives. In 2018, she returned to western Mexico to get the corresponding controls, and the doctors discovered that the tumor was still remaining. In March 2018, they performed a second surgery, but the expected results were not obtained. She died on May 7, 2018 in her room in Guadalajara. Her remains were buried in Cochabamba, Bolivia, since that was one of her wishes. |
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Source: Diccionario Cultural Boliviano Website (Author: Elías Blanco Mamani, March 12, 2012; References: Juan Quinteros, “El torno al recital de Piano…”, Opinión, 21.04.1988, 2; LT/Correo, “E.S. muchos años sobre las teclas”, 14.04.1988, 5; Programa “La Flauta Amorosa”, Centro Patiño, Cbba, s.f.; El Deber/Cultural, “Recital de piano”, 08.08.1989, 1; Wilson García M., “La melódica historia de E.S.”, La Prensa/Oh, 15.10.2006, 12-13); Los Tiempos Website (May 8, 2017); Opinión Website (May 9, 2018); Elizabeth Schwimmer Website (Version of May 17, 2013 from Internet Archive), English translation by Aryeh Oron (June 2018); Elizabeth Schwimmer profile on Facebook
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2018); Rafael Montero (June 2018) |
