Jose Ardevol

Full biography Jose Ardevol

José Ardevol (Barcelona, Spain, 30 August 1911 – Havana, Cuba, 7 January 1981) was a Cuban composer and conductor of Spanish origin. He was born in Barcelona and began composing as a child, influenced by his father Fernando Ardevol, who was a conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Barcelona.

Ardevol's family moved to Cuba when he was still a young boy, and he continued his studies at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Havana. He quickly became one of the most important figures in the development of modern Cuban music, and he is considered one of the pioneers of the Cuban nationalist music movement.

Ardevol played an important role in the development of the percussion ensemble in Cuba. He wrote several significant works for percussion ensemble , including his "Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra" and "Paisaje Cubano con Rumba". He was also a prolific composer of chamber music, orchestral works, and choral music, as well as incidental music for film and theater.

In addition to his work as a composer, Ardevol was also an influential teacher. He helped to establish the National School of Art in Havana, where he taught composition and music theory, and he was also a professor at the Instituto Superior de Arte.

Ardevol's music is characterized by its rhythmic complexity and colorful orchestration, as well as its fusion of European classical music with Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies. His work has been performed and recorded by many musicians and orchestras throughout the world, and he remains an important figure in the history of Cuban music.