Clotilde Cerdà i Bosch

Clotilde Cerdà Bosch was a Catalan harpist from Spain. She made her solo debut at the Vienna World's Fair when she was eleven, directed by Johann Strauss II. Her performance was praised by Isabel II and Victor Hugo who together coined her stage name, Esmeralda Cervantes. She played in Europe and toured the Americas as a harpist while still a teenager. At a young age, Cerdà embraced abolitionism and took a stance against capital punishment. In Barcelona, she established a short-lived women's educational institution with Dolors Aleu i Riera. She continued to tour as a musician, taught the harp, and established music conservatories. She later worked as a journalist.