Esther María Valdés Diestro

Born in La Habana. She studies singing with Russian soprano Mariana de Gonitch.

She makes her public debut in 1939 in a children's company. Later she wins first place in the radio program "La Corte Suprema del Arte".

She makes her professional debut in 1950, accompanied by the Banda Municipal de La Habana, under the direction of maestro Gonzalo Roig, who held her in high esteem. She stars in television versions of Rosa la China, El cafetal, El Batey, by Ernesto Lecuona; La hija del sol, by Gonzalo Roig and Soledad, by Rodrigo Prats.

She joins the cast of the Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba in 1967. She performs the lead roles in Cuban lyric repertoire—Cecilia Valdés, El cafetal—and Spanish—Luisa Fernanda, Los gavilanes, La del soto del parral, La leyenda del beso, Los claveles, La corte de Faraón—.

In the famous production of Cecilia Valdés, directed by Roberto Blanco (1978), she plays the character of "Chepilla," which gains musical and interpretive significance in the new version. Later she takes on the characterization of a third character in the same work: "Dolores Santa Cruz". She performed in Central Europe (1974) and Mexico (1984).

In 1950 she began her professional career as a soloist at Teatro América. Being the leading figure of the Teatro Lírico Gonzalo Roig during the nineteen sixties.

She also made her professional debut that same year, accompanied by the Banda Municipal de La Habana, under the direction of maestro Gonzalo Roig, who held her in high esteem.
She performed radio and television programs.

With Gonzalo Roig she mounted a vast repertoire of Cuban music. She worked on the radio program Gonzalo Roig y su Orquesta and sang with the Concert Band under the maestro's direction in museums, plazas and amphitheaters in the capital and other provinces of the country.

With Ernesto Lecuona she made her debut in a concert at Teatro Auditorium (now Teatro Auditorium Amadeo Roldán). She performed in Cuban music concerts at the theaters Nacional (now Gran Teatro de La Habana), América and Campoamor.

It was Lecuona who taught her the zarzuelas:
"María la O",
"El Batey",
"Rosa la China" and
"El cafetal".
On Television

She starred in television versions such as:
Rosa la China,
El cafetal,
El Batey, by Ernesto Lecuona;
La hija del sol, by Gonzalo Roig and
Soledad, by Rodrigo Prats.
She was part of the cast of the Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba in 1967.

She performed the lead roles in Cuban lyric repertoire:
Cecilia Valdés,
El cafetal and Spanish
Luisa Fernanda,
Los gavilanes,
La del soto del parral,
La leyenda del beso,
Los claveles,
La corte de Faraón.

Awards
First place in the radio program "La Corte Suprema del Arte" in 1941.
She holds the Distinction for National Culture.

Currently she resides in Miami.