Ignacio Cervantes (1847–1905) was a Cuban composer, conductor, and pianist who was highly influential in the development of Cuban classical music. A child prodigy, he is best known for his Danzas Cubanas (Cuban Dances), a collection of forty-one short piano pieces that synthesized European Romantic music with distinctly Cuban rhythms.
Early life and education
Birth and musical gifts: Cervantes was born on July 31, 1847, in Havana, Cuba. Recognized as a child prodigy, he was initially taught piano by his father.
Early mentors: His local piano teacher was Juan Miguel Joval, and he later studied with the esteemed Cuban composer Nicolás Ruiz Espadero.
Gottschalk's influence: From 1859 to 1861, Cervantes was mentored by the American composer and pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who was influential in his decision to study abroad.
Paris Conservatory: From 1866 to 1870, Cervantes studied at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris under Antoine François Marmontel and Charles-Valentin Alkan. During his time there, he won first prizes in both piano performance and harmony.
Career and political exile
Return to Cuba: After completing his studies, Cervantes returned to Cuba in 1870, where he performed as a concert pianist and took up conducting.
Exile for supporting independence: In 1875, during the Ten Years' War, Cervantes was exiled from Cuba by Spanish authorities after it was discovered he was using his concert tours to raise funds for the Cuban independence movement.
Continued activism abroad: While living in the United States and Mexico, Cervantes continued to give concerts to support the Cuban revolutionary cause. He returned to Cuba after the Pact of Zanjón brought a lull in the conflict in 1878, but was forced into exile again when the Cuban War of Independence began in 1895.
Later life: He returned to Cuba in 1900 and continued to perform and compose until his death in Havana on April 29, 1905.
Major works
Danzas Cubanas: His most famous works, the Danzas Cubanas, consist of forty-one solo piano pieces that infused the European salon style with Cuban folk rhythms and humor.
Operas and zarzuelas: Cervantes composed in various forms, including the opera Maledetto (1895) and several zarzuelas, or Spanish light operas.
Other compositions: His other notable works include the Scherzo capriccioso (1885) and Fusión de almas, a piece written for his daughter, María Cervantes, who would also become a pianist and composer.