Background
Born in Santiago, Chile, to Alberto Mackenna Astorga and Carmela Subercaseaux, she was the great-granddaughter of Chilean hero Juan Mackenna and aunt of composer Alfonso Leng.
Born in Santiago, Chile, to Alberto Mackenna Astorga and Carmela Subercaseaux, she was the great-granddaughter of Chilean hero Juan Mackenna and aunt of composer Alfonso Leng.
She studied music theory with Bindo Paoli in Santiago and continued her studies in piano and composition with Conrad Ansorge and Hans Mersmann in Berlin.
In 1934 she made her debut as a composer in Berlin with Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. She was successful as both a pianist and composer in Europe, and is identified with expressionist style. The mass was performed by the choir of the Munich Frauenkirche Cathedral in Munich.
