Our Founder
Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi, Founder and First President of the International Organization New Acropolis.
His innovative proposal was reviving the idea of School of Philosophy in the Classical Tradition, reintroducing the socratic method as a search for wisdom and knowledge of the human being. These schools, in the classical world – the Platonic Academy, the Lyceum of Aristotle, the Neoplatonic School of Alexandria – brought elements of renewal which where useful to guide the difficult times which they experienced. In the second half of the XX century this innovative call came again with profound roots in the classical tradition with a projection into the Third Millenium.
Biographical Notes
Professor Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi was born in 1930 in Buenos Aires to a family of Italian origin, and obtained Italian nationality in 1975.
He studied Medicine, specializing in the Medicine of Ancient India, through the Adyar Section of the Theosophical Society in India.
He also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in History of Art and Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires.
At the same time, he received instruction from C. Jinarajadasa and N. Sri Ram, both of whom were presidents of the Worldwide Theosophical Society.
In 1957 he founded the School of Philosophy “in the classical tradition” which later became incorporated under the name of
International Organization New Acropolis
.
He devoted the rest of his life to promoting this “spiritual adventure”, building it up through a major effort of teaching and research, and establishing centers, first in Europe and America, and later, from 1977, in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
He died in Madrid in 1991.
Delia Steinberg
Delia Steinberg Guzmán was apointed International President of New Acropolis after the death of the founder, Professor Jorge Ángel Livraga in 1991. She was in charge of the management and coordination o the educational and cultural work of New Acropolis in all countries in which the Association is present.
Interview with the Honorary President Delia Steinberg Guzmán
Delia Steinberg Guzmán was born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1943. In 1972 she moved to Spain and in 1975 was granted Spanish nationality.
Studies and Qualifications
She studied music from an early age and, at the age of 17, graduated from the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires as a Teacher of Piano and Composition.
For several years she continued to perfect her technique under the Argentinean concert pianist Flora Nudelman and later under the Russian master Hubert Brandenburg.
She also obtained a degree in Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires.
Her interest in culture and education as a means of personal development led her to continue her studies in other disciplines. She has taken specialist courses in archaeology, history, history of music, bioenergetic medicine and other natural therapies.
Musical career
At the age of 10, she performed her first public concert and since then has often been selected to perform at piano events organized by different organizations, such as Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes, Jóvenes Concertistas Argentinos, Ateneo de Cultura Artística, Nuevos Valores Musicales, Asociación Harmonicus, Department of Culture of the Ministry of Education of the Argentine Republic, Promociones Musicales and others, both public and private.
She has given numerous concerts at different venues, as well as on radio and television, both in Argentina and in other American countries, obtaining excellent reviews in the press.
On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the death of Maurice Ravel and together with other artists and journalists, she participated in the tribute to the late composer organized by the Argentinean Institute of Engineers on the 7th of July in 1967.In 1988, in order to promote musical studies on an international scale, she founded the Tristan Music Institute, where she gives piano classes. Currently, the Tristan Institute operates in Spain, Brazil, France, Israel and Germany, with an emphasis on teaching activities.
Since that time she has also been running music appreciation courses in Spain, including courses dedicated to the works of Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Chopin and Schumann.
In 1982, in order to promote new values in music, she instituted the International Piano Competition which now bears her name, forming part of the jury and promoting the artistic careers of young music professionals. The Delia Steinberg International Piano Competition is held annually in Madrid (Spain) and attracts young pianists from all over the world.
Teaching and Research
In 1966 she began to study the complete syllabus of the School of Philosophy of the International Organization New Acropolis under the guidance of its founder, Professor Jorge Angel Livraga. She subsequently joined the teaching staff of the Institution, giving classes on History of Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, History of Religions, Eastern Philosophy, Psychology, Metaphysical Aesthetics, Oratory and all the other topics which are covered in the New Acropolis Program of Studies. She has also produced teacher training manuals for the above-mentioned subjects.
Her work as a teacher has also expanded to include giving training courses for other teachers and educators within New Acropolis.
She has delivered courses, lectures and seminars in different countries across Europe, America and Asia on topics such as “Common Features in Ancient Civilizations”, “Pain and its Causes”, “Esoteric Traditions about the Origins of Man and the Universe”, “The Keys to Astrology”, “Philosophy for Living”, “The Anguish of Youth”, “Astrology and Psychology “, “Egypt: Thought, Life and Religion”, “The Initiatic Way of Santiago”, “The Legacy of the Templars”, “The Metaphysical Beauty of Woman”, “Tradition and Time”, “Music Therapy”, “Colour Therapy”, and many more.
In 1977 she founded and promoted a Short Story Competition in Spain which has now been through 25 editions, and has formed part of the panel of judges alongside important figures in the genre of literary narrative.
From 1972 to 1991 she was the director of this Institution in Spain, during which time the cultural activity of New Acropolis spread to more than thirty cities around the country.
Throughout this time she promoted teaching and research activities in several areas:
For children and teenagers: Camping trips, excursions, story-telling, introductory workshops to philosophy as an educational tool, etc.
Medicine and holistic therapies, with continuing development and research programs for doctors, health technicians, therapists, etc., including workshops given by leading professionals on Acupuncture, Laser Therapy, Homeopathy, Magneto-therapy, Bioenergetics, etc.
Social action: Training courses and workshops for volunteers, including active participation in ecological and social programs, disaster relief, animal welfare centers, etc., in association with official organizations.
All of these initiatives have had far-reaching repercussions, both nationally and internationally.
From 1975 to 1991, she was also the coordinator of the activities of New Acropolis in Europe. In 1991, after the death of the founder, Professor Jorge Ángel Livraga, she was elected International President of New Acropolis. In this capacity she has been responsible for managing and coordinating the cultural and educational work of this International Association in all the countries in which it is established.
She died in Mallorca in 2023.