A virtuoso concert harpist and composer, she was known by the artistic pseudonym of Esmeralda Cervantes: Esmeralda, for the heroine of one of Victor Hugo's most important works, and Cervantes, for the writer of Don Quixote. As a concert performer, she was a child prodigy, starting her world tours when she was only 14 years old. She has been honoured in the best theatres and noble salons around the globe, from Japan to Russia and the United States. In Vienna she played with the Richard Strauss orchestra and in Rome she took part in the last concert of the virtuoso composer and pianist Franz Liszt. In 1883, along with Dr Dolors Aleu, she founded the Academy of Sciences, Arts and Crafts for Women in Barcelona. She was a feminist activist, an opponent of slavery and a defender of human rights. She also managed popular magazines and promoted the international publication of magazines such as L'Etoile Polaire (The Polar Star). She was the illegitimate daughter of another famous figure, the urban planner Ildefons Cerdà. The gardens devoted to Clotilde Cerdà are located near the L1 Glòries stop.
A concert harpist and composer, she performed in cities like Vienna and Rome and co-founded the Academy of Sciences, Arts and Trades of Barcelona. She went by the pseudonym Esmeralda Cervantes.