Eva de la O

Her principal goal was to promote classical music of Puerto Rico, which she pursued with the foundation of Música de Cámara two years after her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall on May 6, 1977.

On January 19, 1931, she was born in East Harlem, Manhattan to Puerto Rican immigrants José de la O and Margot Melchor[1] of Vega Alta.

Initially wanting to be a flamenco dancer, Melchor pressured her[1] at age 7 into taking piano lessons with María Luisa Lecompte, the last companion of violinist Claudio Brindis de Salas Garrido.

[2] On May 6, 1977, she made her official debut performing "Latin art songs" from 8 countries, including Spain, at Carnegie Recital Hall with Jacquelyne Silver.

However, she performed there before and music critic John Rockwell described her tone as "breathy and colorless, the agility limited and support weak[,] [y]et […] evenly produced and decently handled".