Villa-Lobos at the end of a concert in Tel Aviv, 1952, Fritz Cohen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Brazilian Composer, Conductor, Cellist & Classical Guitarist • March 5, 1887-November 17, 1959 • 20th Century Brazilian Art Music
Fast Facts
- Heitor Villa-Lobos is often considered the most important 20th century composer of classical music from South America
- He was born in Rio de Janeiro, where he learned to play the cello, clarinet, and classical guitar from his father
- Villa-Lobos’ wife, Lucilia Guimaraes, taught him how to play the piano
- His compositional style is influenced by both European classical music and Brazilian folk music
- He composed operas, ballets, symphonies, concertos, symphonic suites, and solo pieces
- He composed music for the 1945 film Green Mansions starring Audrey Hepburn
- In 1930 Villa-Lobos was made director of music education in Rio de Janeiro and later founded the Brazilian Academy of Music
- He designed a complete system of musical instruction for generations of Brazilians, deeply rooted in patriotism and based upon Brazil’s rich musical culture
- One of his most famous works, Bachianas Brasileiras, is a cycle of 9 suites that fuses the Baroque style of JS Bach with Brazilian folk music.
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