ALMA BATISTA began her musical studies in her native Puerto Rico with Alba Rosa Castro. At the age of 15 she continued her piano studies with Cecilia Talavera at the Conservatorio de Música, de Puerto Rico. During the summers, Ms. Batista would study with Edith Oppens at the Aspen Music Festival and in New York City. In 1987, she moved to San Francisco, California to continue her music studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Ms. Batista earned her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Paul Hersh and Mack McCray.
In 1996, Ms. Batista was awarded a Graduate Opportunity Fellowship to pursue her Doctor of Music Arts degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At UCSB, she studied with Paul Berkowitz and Dr. Betty Oberacker. Ms. Batista's doctoral thesis, The Life of Puerto Rican Composer Narciso Figueroa, and his Contributions to the Puerto Rican Danza is the first comprehensive study on the danzas of Puerto Rican pianist and composer Narciso Figueroa. Alma Batista received her Doctor of Music Arts degree in 2002.
Ms. Batista has appeared as a soloist with the Community Music Center orchestra of San Francisco under the direction of Urs Leonhardt-Steiner. She has presented piano solo, chamber music, and lecture-recitals at the City College of San Francisco, The Faulkner Gallery Series in Santa Barbara, Performances at Six Concert Series in San Francisco, San Francisco Music Center Faculty Artists Series, Rossmore Concert Series in Lafayette, White Barn Concert Series in St. Helena, the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, the Museo de Arte de Ponce Concert Series, and Caribbean University in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
Ms. Batista has performed at the Festival de Música Cubana at the Santa Clara University where she premiered Cuban Danzones by Alejandro García Caturla. She has also performed a solo piano recital at the City of Riverside's first Classical Music Program, for which she was awarded City of Riverside's Honoree of the Month Award. In 2015, she performed a family concert for the Moreno Valley Cultural Arts Foundation, in Moreno Valley, CA.
Ms. Batista also performs as a collaborative pianist for chamber music and singers. In 2015, she accompanied Shirley Jones at the piano during her book signing event in Riverside, CA.
In 2013, Dr. Batista's Danza Romanza won first prize in the Contemporary Danza Category of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (I.C.P.) Danza Composition Contest in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In 2014, her Danza Nostalgia received Honorary Mention at the Danza Composition Contest of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In 2015, her danza Pensando en ti received Honorary Mention at the I.C.P. Danza Composition Contest, and her Danza Criolla won fourth place at the Danza Composition Contest of the Municipality of San Germán, Puerto Rico.
In 2016, her danza Tormento won first prize in the Contemporary Danza category of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her Danza Romanza was published by the I.C.P. in the volume Danzas Puertorriqueñas Ganadoras del Concurso de Composición del I.C.P. (2010-2015)
In 2022, Dr. Batista's danza El Revolú won first prize in the 50th Anniversary of the Danza Composition Contest of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (I.C.P.) and the Centro de Recreo de San Germán, in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
