Cuba celebrates Maestro Leo Brouwer’s 84th birthday

Havana, Mar 1 (Prensa Latina) Considered one of the most outstanding and influential personalities in music of 20th century, Cuban maestro Leo Brouwer turns 84 today, a date celebrated by organizations and cultural institutions on the island.

The Hermanos Saiz Association(AHS),which brings together the artistic youth vanguard in the Caribbean nation, posted on its Twitter account its admiration, respect and affection for the famous composer and orchestral conductor, in a token of sympathy for his work.

Meanwhile, Cuba’s Artex, an agency for artistic and literary promotions, also from Cuba, recalled that Brouwer is considered one of the five best living guitarists in the world, standing out for his wonderful and sublime musical pieces.

The musician has conducted more than 120 symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles in several countries, such as the Carrefour Mondial de la Guitare France (1976-2001); the Orquesta de Cordoba, Spain (1992-2001) and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Cuba (1981-2003). He has an extensive discography, which exceeds 850 records and a catalog of more than 350 works covering almost all genres and musical forms.

He has also participated as a juror in numerous international guitar competitions,composition and orchestral conducting, among them Changsha International Guitar Festival, Japan Guitar Ensemble Festival, Guitar Foundation of America and Camerata Argentina de Guitarras.

He has been awarded multiple distinctions such as the National Music Prize (1999), the National Film Prize (2009) and two Latin Grammys. Leo Brouwer stands out for works such as ‘Elogio de la danza’ and ‘El decameron negro’.