In 1902, he began to study
piano,
music theory and
solfège and then later graduated in music studies at the Havana
Conservatory. In 1907, he played part, as a
pianist, in an ensemble (
trio), and thus started his very active career in
music, composed his first musical piece
Voice of misfortune for piano and solo voice. Two years later, he began playing
violin at the
Martí Theater in Havana. In 1917 he traveled to Mexico, and worked there briefly, returning to Cuba the same year. In 1922, he was co-founder of the
Symphony Orchestra in Havana, of which he became music director. In 1927, he was appointed director of the Municipal Music Band of Havana. During his tenure as director (he held the position until his death) he made countless contributions to the
Cuban music. In 1929 he founded the Orquesta de Ignacio Cervantes, which, a year later, was invited by the
Pan American Union to lead a series of concerts in
The United States of America. In 1931, while participating in the creation of the National Theatre, he composed and premiered (next year) his
zarzuela,
Cecilia Valdés, a typical example of the Cuban lyric theatre. In 1938, he founded the National Opera in Havana, which he directed for a few years. He traveled frequently and gave performances in many parts of the world. He founded the Society of Cuban Authors, the National Federation of Authors of Cuba, the National Union of Authors of Cuba and the National Society of Authors of Cuba. == References ==