Oscar Lorenzo Fernández

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Lorenzo Fernandez

Years Active

1918–1948

Genres

classical music, nationalist music

Instruments

piano

Biography

Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez was a prominent Brazilian composer and educator born in Rio de Janeiro to Spanish parents. He began his musical journey playing at dancing parties for the Centro Galego and composed his first opera, Rainha Moura, at the young age of eighteen. Later, he entered the National Institute of Music, studying under influential mentors such as Francisco Braga and Frederico Nascimento, before eventually taking over the harmony chair.

Throughout his career, Fernandez's compositions evolved through distinct artistic phases, starting with French impressionism before transitioning into a celebrated nationalist period that emphasized Brazilian folklore and cultural roots alongside contemporaries like Mário de Andrade and Francisco Mignone. His notable nationalist works include the famous orchestral suite Reisado do Pastoreio and the Trio Brasileiro. In his later years, his style shifted toward a more universalist tone, encompassing symphonies, ballets, and chamber pieces.

Beyond his prolific composition work, Fernandez left a lasting legacy in Brazilian music education by founding the Brazilian Conservatory of Music in 1936, directing it until his death. His contributions to classical composition and pedagogy continue to be celebrated through honors like the Funarte National Choir Singing Competition, cementing his vital place in Brazil's musical history.

Discography

• Heitor Villa-Lobos, Lorenzo Fernandez, Marlos Nobre e Helza Cameu – Música Moderna Brasileira (1967)
• Leonard Bernstein, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Camargo Guarnieri, Silvestre Revueltas, Oscar Lorenzo Fernández, Aaron Copland, Carlos Chávez, New Yorker Philharmoniker – Latein - Amerikanische Tänze (1969)
• Cristina Ortiz, Villa-Lobos • Vianna • Miguéz • Guarnieri • Fernández – Alma Brasileira (1975)
• Edino Krieger, Lorenzo Fernandez – Festival Villa-Lobos 1977 (1977)
• Duas Suítes, um Noturno, um Quarteto, Duas Invenções e Sete Canções (1996)
• Uma Sinfonia, uma Valsa, uma Sonata, Très Estudios e Sete Canções (1996)
• Orquestra Petrobras Pró Música (1998)
• Lorenzo Fernândez, Vieira Brandão, Guerra-Peixe, Ernesto Nazareth – Repertório Rádio MEC III (1998)
• H. Villa Lobos / O. Lorenzo Fernandez / Ney Rosauro / H. Pascoal - Grupo de Percussão da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria – Grupo de Percussão da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (1999)
• Numen Quintet, Paquito D'Rivera, Carlos Franzetti, Ariel Ramirez, Oscar Lorenzo Fernández – Latin American Composers - Woodwind Quintets (1999)
• Damocles Trio - Villa-Lobos, Fernândez – Trios Brasileiros (2009)
• Arturo Toscanini - Atterberg, Barber, Fernandez, R. Strauss, Ravel – Symphony No. 6 / Adagio For Strings / Reisado Do Pastoreio Batuque / Don Juan / La Valse (2009)
• Fernández, Ginastera, Hung, Márquez, Moncayo, Revueltas, Romero, Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela, Theodore Kuchar – Latin American Classics (2012)
• Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra, Fabio Mechetti – Symphonies Nos. 1 And 2 (2024)
• Oscar Fernández, Martin Jones – Piano Music Of Oscar Fernández (2024)
• Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez, Clélia Iruzun – Piano Works (2025)