Ueta Solomona

Ueta Mata’utia Pene Solomona OS (15 September 1935 — January 2018) was a Samoan composer, musician, and music educator. He was the first Samoan awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the United States, and the composer of the first Samoan opera, Jephathah.

Ueta grew up in Apia and was educated at the Marist Brothers primary school. He learned to play the piano before beginning primary school, and began composing hymns and music for brass bands before he was 20. graduating in 1963 with a BSc in music. On returning to Samoa he was appointed music specialist for all government schools. He subsequently taught music, organised choir festivals, and composed Jephathah, the first Samoan opera, which was performed at the first Festival of Pacific Arts in 1972. and established the National Orchestra of Samoa.