“The first flautist we have in Chile”: Ruperto Santa Cruz and the beginnings of the performance of the modern flute in the country, 1856-1866

Abstract

This article reconstructs the first ten years of the musical career of the Chilean flutist Ruperto Santa Cruz, which represents the first professional experience in the flute at the concert level that occurred in the country and that until now had not been studied. It covers his musical training and contact with the Italian virtuoso Achille Malavasi in 1856, up to his concerts with Louis Moreau Gottschalk in 1866, making a tour of his performances through the press testimonies of Santiago and Valparaíso. Although he was a multifaceted musician, since during his career he also cultivated composition, teaching, band and orchestra conducting, and music publishing and journalism, the modern flute, of the Boehm system, was the element that defined him artistically. The reflection points out that, even though the memory of Ruperto Santa Cruz’s concert activity has vanished, his recovery contributes to a broader understanding of instrumental performance and concert music in Chile during the 19th century.