Irma Urteaga was born in
San Nicholas,
Buenos Aires. She began her studies in Paraná (Entre Ríos) and continued in Buenos Aires with
Lucrecia María Madariaga Gilardi,
Josefa Hernandorena and
Jorge Fanelli for piano and
Beatriz Gilardo Henandorena y Gilardi for harmony. She graduated in piano in 1959, and continued studying at the same school, graduating in composition in 1971. Her teachers for composition were
Roberto Caamaño and
Valdo Sciammarella, for instrumentation was
Roberto García Morillo, and for history and aesthetics,
Carlos Sufern and
Alicia Terzian. After ending her studies, Urteaga performed as a concert musician and taught harmony at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música Carlos López Buchardo and operatic repertoire, vocal negotiation analysis and opera at the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón. She was Columbus Theatre International Master (1974–1977) and director of an Opera Workshop in 1984. She was hired by the Opera Foundation of
Ecuador to organize the lyrics for performances in
Quito,
Guayaquil and
Cuenca from 1986-1988. Urteaga has been the recipient of a number of composition and achievement awards. She has been Deputy Secretary (1973–1980), Second Vice President (1997–2000) and First Vice President (2001–2003) of the Argentina Association of Composers, Registrar of the Argentine Council of Music (CAMU, 1985–1993 and an Active Member of the United Composers of Argentina (CUDA, 1986–2005). She also served as Vice President of the Argentine Forum of Composers (FADEC). ==Works==