One of the few Cuban composers to gain international recognition, Leo Brouwer was born in Havana in 1939. He became a fine guitarist and had his first composition published at the age of 17. He subsequently moved to the United States and was enroled in the Juilliard School to study composition. On his return to Havana he worked for the radio and was later appointed composition professor at the Havana Conservatory.

Initially we find folk music inspiring his compositions, but he later embraced the most advanced West European avant-garde techniques while founding a new Cuban school of composition.

That largely changed at Juilliard where he came under the influences of the most avant garde composers, such as Cage, Nono and Henze, which were to stimulate his later works.

He has since written a number of large scale works, including concertos for flute and for guitar, though his name is best known in the field of solo guitar music.

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