Raised in Mexico City, de la Parra began her piano studies at age 7 and the cello at age 13. During adolescence she discovered her passion for conducting and at the age of 16 moved to London to pursue high school and music studies at the St. Leonard’s Mayfield School.
In the year 2000 at age 19, de la Parra moved to New York City to study Piano and Conducting at Manhattan School of Music. She obtained a BM in Piano Performance under the direction of Jeffrey Cohen and studied conducting with her mentor, Kenneth Kiesler, receiving an MA in Conducting in 2008. De la Parra has also been coached by Marin Alsop, Charles Dutoit, and Kurt Masur.
De la Parra's recent conducting highlights include appearances with the New World Symphony,Houston and San Antonio Orchestras, concerts with the Singapore Sun Festival Orchestra working with Geoffrey Rush, the Russian National Orchestra collaborating with Joshua Bell and Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway, and Venezuela's Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra. She was also awarded that orchestra's highest honor given to a musician.
De la Parra has appeared as guest conductor with the Westchester Philharmonic, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Veracruz, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes, Uruguay’s Montevideo Philharmonic and Mexico’s National Symphony Orchestra, among others. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as guest conductor of the New York Pops Orchestra.
A champion of new music, de la Parra has presented more than twenty world premieres by composers including Enrico Chapela, Paul Brantley, Paul Desenne, Eugenio Toussaint, Ernesto Villa-Lobos, and many more.
Future engagements include performances with the New World Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Tivoli Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Phoenix Symphony, among others.
It was during her undergraduate studies at Manhattan School of Music that de la Parra created what would be the start of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas. In 2004 the Mexican Consulate asked de la Parra to produce a concert featuring Mexican music for the Mexico Now Festival. A 65-piece orchestra concert was produced to critical acclaim from major publications. It was at this event that de la Parra became the first Mexican woman to ever conduct a concert in New York City. Since its inception, POA has accomplished two international tours, initiated a Young Composers' Competition, and established an Arts and Education Program, while also presenting an annual season in New York City.
La Llorona
Alondra de la Parra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Negro pero cariñoso.
Todos me dicen el negro, llorona
Negro pero cariñoso.
Yo soy picante pero sabroso
Yo soy como el chile verde, llorona
Picante pero sabroso.
Ay de mí, ay de mi llorona llévame al río
Tápame con tú rebozo, llorona
Porque me muero de frió
Si porque te quiero quieres, llorona
Quieres que te quieres más
Si porque te quiero quieres, llorona
Quieres que te quieres más
Si ya te he dado la vida, llorona
Qué más quieres?
Quieres más?
Si ya te he dado la vida, llorona
Qué más quieres?
Quieres más?
Ay de mí, ay de mi llorona llévame al río
The song "La Llorona" by Alondra de la Parra is a Mexican folk song that tells the story of a man who is compared to a "negro," which in this context means someone who is dark-skinned. Despite his dark appearance, he is described as being loving and caring. The singer then compares herself to a spicy green chili, stating that she too is strong and flavorful. However, she calls out to La Llorona, asking to be taken to the river and covered with a shawl because she is cold and dying.
The repeated phrase "Si porque te quiero quieres, llorona/ Quieres que te quieres más" translates to "If you want me because I love you, La Llorona/ You want me to love you even more." The singer then questions what more La Llorona could want from her, as she has already given her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Todos me dicen el negro, llorona
Everyone calls me 'the black one', crying woman
Negro pero cariñoso.
Black but affectionate.
Yo soy picante pero sabroso
I am spicy but tasty, crying woman
Yo soy como el chile verde, llorona
I am like the green chili, crying woman
Ay de mí, ay de mi llorona llévame al río
Oh woe is me, oh my crying woman, take me to the river
Tápame con tú rebozo, llorona
Cover me with your shawl, crying woman
Porque me muero de frió
Because I am dying of cold
Si porque te quiero quieres, llorona
If you want more of my love, crying woman
Quieres que te quieres más
You want me to love you more
Si ya te he dado la vida, llorona
If I have already given you my life, crying woman
Qué más quieres?
What more do you want?
Ay de mí, ay de mi llorona llévame al río
Oh woe is me, oh my crying woman, take me to the river
Contributed by Nolan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@martinespadas9986
Que más se puede decir, nuestra música es hermosa
@RUBENGONZALEZ-mz9dj
La llorona, taparme con tu reboso porqué me muero de frío
Hermoso tema dirigida por ALONDRA DE LA PARRA que belleza disfrutar todo esto ❤️
@martinsalvadorsanchez-cruz6233
Particularmente el arreglo me gusta mucho, me recuerda los arreglos que se hacían en la época de oro del cine mexicano. Siento que capta la idiosincrasia de la relación trágica entre el amor y la muerte. El ambiente es sobrenatural muy al entender de nuestras bisabuelas.
@zoiloramirez210
Dos extraordinarias mexicanas
como hay millones másque ponen nuestra tradición a un nivel de calidad mundial: Alondra y Denise.@rosaangelagutierrezdevelas3407
No es Denise es Ely Guerra, Denise es buena pero para mi la voz y la manera en que Ely la ocupa está muy por arriba de Denise Gutiérrez
@enricocaruso1429
Orgullo mexicano Maestra sus antepasados y presente forman parte de la cultura mexicana
@arriolakishi8916
Por qué no puedo dejar de llorar...me da un sentimiento 🙏🖤✌️🥺
@lomejordemiist
son unas maestras de la música ... las admiro demasiado
@nayelopz8418
Simplemente ¡¡¡¡ADMIRABLE!!!!
@sandibuok
Hermosas voces!! :)