Conservatory Handbook - Conchita Espinosa Academy

HISTORY
Our founder, Conchita Espinosa, dedicated her life to educating and guiding youth towards
realizing their dreams. By comprehensively integrating the arts and academics, each
student was led to discover, develop and share their unique gifts and talents.
Conchita’s own history reflects this integration. At the age of 14, she graduated from the
International Conservatory in Havana. Upon graduation, she continued her studies under
Jasha Fischerman and Joaquin Nin, while performing in Mexico, Cuba and the U.S. This
formidable pedagogue founded her own conservatory in Havana in 1933. By 1959, it had
grown into an elementary school and arts conservatory with over 450 students. The late
composer Ernesto Lecuona, one of Cuba’s most distinguished musicians, declared, “You
were born to teach. You have the divine gift of transforming the student and accomplishing
the maximum, always bringing out his personality. That is a gift from God.”
Throughout the years, Conchita Espinosa Conservatory of the Arts has been blessed with
excellent teachers who shared Conchita’s dedication to arts education. Past teachers have
included distinguished artists such as: Rosita Segovia, Manuel Ochoa, Michael Fokine,
Martha Mahr, Dulce Anaya, Elena del Cueto, Gloria Gaither, and Mariana Alvarez. We
continue to have the finest teachers and professionals available working with our students.
Today, Conchita’s dream is lovingly continued by her daughter, CEA and Conservatory
Director, Maribel Z. Diaz and her granddaughters, Middle School Principal, Carol Diaz-
Zubieta, and psychologist, Ana Diaz-Zubieta. Conservatory and Academy teachers—some
who knew Conchita—all work together and reflect in their daily interactions with students the
heart of Conchita’s legacy: “¡Ser mejor, mejor y mejor!”
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