Composers:
1. Leo Brouwer (1939-present )
Biography
Leo Brouwer born as Leovigildo Brouwe was born in Havana, Cuba in 1939. As a young child he was surrounded by musically talented people. He was fortunate enough to be born into a family of musicians his grandfather was Ernestina Lecuona Casado a well know composer.
Brouwer was strongly influenced by the guitar as well as Classical music which captured many people attention around the world. Brouwer attended Hartt College of Music of the University of Hartford, and later at the Juilliard School to further his passion and knowledge for music. As a conductor including all of his other accomplishments, Brouwer often conducted masterclasses and performance workshops due to amazing skills playing the guitar. He also was able to enter a Guitar competition in Hungary which Brouwer wrote and conducted “Blue Skies” and Smile, which was broadcast by the BBC.
Brouwer is still alive today but due to an injury to a tendon in his right hand middle finger in 1980s he stopped playing. . Brouwer is still a director of the Havana International Guitar Festival and Competition. His musical pieces are still played throughout films and all over the word. Many loved the hint of Afo-Cuban folk music which embodied his own Cuban background.
Discography
Guitar Music, Volume 1: Estudios Sencillos / Tres Apuntes / Cancion De Cuna (feat. guitar: ...
Guitar Music, Volume 4: La ciudad de las columnas / Nuevos estudios sencillos / Suite No. 1 ...
Guitar Sonata (Rem Khabibullin)
Sonata / Hika / Suite No. 2 / Rio de los Orishas (guitar: Graham Anthony Devine)
Bibliography
- http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.lib.umb.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2093402?q=Leo+ Brouwer+Campos&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
2. Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963)
Biography
Ernesto Lecuona was born in Guanabacoa, Havana, in 1895. Lecuona develop his He started studying piano at an early age, his sister Ernestina Lecuona who was a very gifted musician influenced him to become a better musician. At the age of 17 he graduated from the National Conservatory with the Gold Medal in performance. He was recognized by his musical talents and many people and even musician were memorized by his pieces.
Lecuona, including all of his other accomplishments founded of the Havana Symphony with other musicians which include, Gonzalo Roig, the Lecuona Cuban Boys Band, and La Orquesta de La Habana. Lecuona.
In the year 1942, his piece, “Always in my heart was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song but unfortunately it did not win. Lecuno died In 1963, through his lifetime he was able to write over 400 songs which impacted the Cuban music industry. His music hinted movements of dance, mixed with classical and many from all over was fascinated by that combination.
Discography
Homenaje a Ernesto Lecuona
Musica de Ernesto Lecuona 1991
Musica de Ernesto Lecuona
Lecuona: Rosa la China 1992
Ecuona: Rosa la China Montilla
La Epoca de Oro de Ernesto Lecuona 1992
Al Piano Con Orquesta Y Sus Interpretes \
Al Piano Con Orquesta Y Sus Interpretes
Big World (Continental)
El Cafetal (Zarzuela Cubana) 1993
Grandes Compositores, Vol. 4 1995
Grand Piano Collection 1996 G
Ernesto Lecuona: Su Musica y Sus Interpretes 1997
Lecuona: The Ultimate Collection 1997
Maria la O, Zarzuela Cubana 1998
Music of Ernesto Lecuona 1998
Cuban Originals 1999 Cuban Originals album review Sony BMG / RCA
Homenaje Al Maestro Homenaje Al Maestro
Bibliography
- http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.lib.umb.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/48889?q=ErnestLecuona+&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
3. Julian Orbon, (1843-1883)
Biography
Julián Orbón was born on August 7, 1925, in Avilés, Spain. Julián Orbón was exposed to music at a very early age because his father, Benjamin, was a Spanish composer and pianist. In. At the age of ten, Julián Orbón attended the Oviedo Conservatory in Oviedo which was in Spain where he received his first formal training. Though he was born in Spain he impacted the Cuban country with his phenomenally music abilities.
Some of Orbón’s accomplishment was wining a scholarship to study composition with Aaron Copland at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. After his studies he went to Cuba to take over as a director in the Orbón Conservatory music school. Due to the Cuban Revolution began in 1953 he had to discounting his role as a director.
Julián Orbón died of cancer at the age of sixty-five at the Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida. Orbón was well known as a great compositions that combined had a mixed of Spanish, Cuban, African and even a hint of a romantic style. He was also inspired by Copland, Chávez, and Villa-Lobos which was evident in some of his musical pieces.
Discography
Orchestral
Symphony in C (1945)
Homenaje a la Tonadilla (1947)
Tres versiones sinfónicas (1953)
Danzas sinfónicas (1955)
Concerto Grosso (1958)
Partitas No. 3 (1965-1966)
Partitas No. 4 (1982-1985)
Choral
Crucifixus (1953)
Introito (1967-1968)
Canciones folklóricas (1970-1972)
Liturgia de tres días (1975)
Solo vocal
Pregón (1943)
Himnus ad galli cantum (1956)
3 cantigas del rey (1960)
Libro de Cantares (1987)
Chamber and solo instrument
Homaje a Padre Soler (1942)
Toccata (1943)
Clarinet Quintet (1944)
Preludio y Danza (1950-1951)
String Quartet (1951)
Partita no. 1 (1963)
Partita no. 2 (1964)
Preludio y fantasia tiento
Bibliography
- http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.lib.umb.edu/subscriberartorbonarticle/grove/music/A2093518?q= Julián+Orbon&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
4. Ignacio Cervantes( 1847-1905)
Biography
Ignacio Cervantes, born as Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh was born in July 31, 1847. Cervantes developed a love for music at a very young age. At the age of six, he was acknowledged for his musical performance from a well-known musician named Louis Moreau Gottschalk. When he was nine years old he even composed his first musical piece called La Solitaria.
Cervantes traveled around the world with well know musicians where he was able to teach and learn different styles of music as a music. With a hint of European styled music, which he was able to acquire while studying in Paris. He was able to properly combine different styles/ feelings into his pieces such as romantics, Afro- Cuban and European. Cervantes died in Miami Florida at the age of 65 in 1905. He was fortunate enough to have been an influence in the Cuban industry before he died.
Discography.
Orchestral
Symphony in C (1945)
Homenaje a la Tonadilla (1947)
Tres versiones sinfónicas (1953)
Danzas sinfónicas (1955)
Concerto Grosso (1958)
Partitas No. 3 (1965-1966)
Partitas No. 4 (1982-1985)
Choral
Crucifixus (1953)
Introito (1967-1968)
Canciones folklóricas (1970-1972)
Liturgia de tres días (1975)
Solo vocal
Pregón (1943)
Himnus ad galli cantum (1956)
3 cantigas del rey (1960)
Libro de cantares (1987)
Chamber and solo instrument
Homaje a Padre Soler (1942)
Toccata (1943)
Clarinet Quintet (1944)
Preludio y danza (1950-1951)
String Quartet (1951)
Partita no. 1 (1963)
Partita no. 2 (1964)
Preludio y fantasia tiento (1974)
Bibliography
- http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.lib.umb.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/48889?q=ErnestLecuona+&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
- http://caribbeanartmusicwebquest.wordpress.com/category/cuba/
Time Line *
1492- Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba
1607- Havana became the capital of Cuba
1803- The first music was published in Cuba;
1843- Julian Orbon, was born
1847- Ignacio Cervantes was born
1865- Ignacio Cerantes enrolled at the Paris Conservatory
1875- Ignacio Cerantes Toured United States
1883- Julian Orbon dies
1895- Cervantes wrote one opera (Maledetto)
1895- Cuban War of Independence
1895- Ernesto Lecuona was born
1905 -Ignacio Cervantes Dies
1939- Leo Brouwer was born
1942- Ernesto Lecuona’s piece, “Always in my heart was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song
1953- Cuban Revolution began
1960- Julian Orbon left Cuba to teach composition at the National Conservatory in Mexico City
1963- Ernesto Lecuona
1969- Orbón received Guggenheim Fellowships
1972- Leo Brouwer won scholarship by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) being guest composer and lecturer of Academy of Science and Arts of Berlin
1980- Brouwer's playing career ended due to an injury
