Composer in Residence of the ASMF 2019

He was born in Matanzas on January 3, 1944. He graduated in Choral Conducting at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Havana in 1966 and in Orchestral Conducting at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1973. From that year he acted as guest conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. National of Cuba. He is professor of orchestra conducting at the Higher Institute of Art and Director of the Chamber Orchestra “Música Eterna”. He is the founder of the ISA, Full Professor and Head of Dept. of Orchestra Direction. He has developed a successful career in which he recently highlighted his tour of Italian cities and the premiere of a choral work at the World Choir Symposium at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona.

He has achieved outstanding achievements in his artistic career, both nationally and internationally. His works have been awarded in the most important composition contests held in Cuba, such as National Composition Contest, Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), Contest July 26, The Golden Age and Adolfo Guzmán Contest .

His work as a Symphonic Director has earned him great success and very complimentary comments from international critics. Among his most significant performances in Europe include those made at the Warsaw Philharmonic, Poland, the Grand Hall of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary and the Lisinsky Theater in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. It has also offered successful concerts in important cities of Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, Spain and the United States.

In 2010 he was invited by the Winterthur Symphony Orchestra, Switzerland, to conduct a concert exclusively with his symphonic compositions -coral. It was performed at the Musikkolegium with clamorous success from the public and critics. In Latin America he has also obtained very notable successes in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala and Paraguay, countries where he has offered numerous concerts.

He was selected as the most outstanding foreign director in the 1991 season, by the Carlos Chavez Symphony Orchestra of Mexico.

In 2005 he was awarded the UNESCO Medal “Valparaíso, Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in Chile. He has directed all the Cuban symphonic orchestras, standing out in an outstanding way his interpretations of the 9th. Symphony of Beethoven at the head of the National Symphony Orchestra and the executions of his work Victoria de la Esperanza for symphony orchestra, choir, soloists, actors, dance and cinema. Particularly notable was his performance as Principal Conductor of the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra, an institution that figures in the first Cuban musical planes.

His renowned prestige as a composer and symphonic director has made him an increasingly sought-after artist on stages and international events. They include New Music Festival of Winnipeg, Canada 2006, where he won the Audience Award, the Interamerican Encounter of Composition organized by the University of Indiana, United States, which was invited with the highest category granted by the event in 1996 , the Sounds of the Americas Festival organized by the American Composer Orchestra that had as its venues Carnegie Hall, Juliard School and other important New York institutions and the Oregon Bach Festival during which their compositions were performed with great success. As well as, the Ibero-American Festival of Contemporary Music held in Spain, the Tribune of Latin American and Caribbean Music held in Argentina, the Franco Donatoni Festival held in Mexico, the Contemporary Music Festival of the Catholic University of Chile, the Contemporary Music Festival of El Salvador and Forums of Caribbean Composers, held in Venezuela, Mexico and Guatemala. He has toured Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Russia, GDR, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria.

Several universities and centers of higher studies in different countries have invited him to offer lectures and master classes, with special significance being the designation of Distinguished Guest awarded by the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada in 2005. There the Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and different chamber ensembles performed several of their works together with the Eternal Music Chamber Orchestra, forming a Concert Day dedicated to the music of López-Gavilán.

His work in the development of the Cuban Youth Symphonic Movement is very remarkable, founding and directing various symphonic and chamber orchestras that have obtained resounding successes in events held in Cuba and other countries. He is a Full Professor of the Higher Institute of Art, leading the Chair of Orchestral Direction for more than twenty years. For his artistic merits he has received numerous decorations among which are the Alejo Carpentier Medal, the Distinction for National Culture and the Recognition Prize awarded by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba to the creative work for life. For the work of all life was awarded the National Music Award 2015, the highest distinction awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba.

He is currently President of the Association of Musicians of the UNEAC and President of the Havana Festival, a prestigious international event dedicated to contemporary music that is held annually. He has been elected Founding Member of the College of Latin American Composers of Art Music.

Works by Maestro López Gavilán

As a riddle,
Camerata in guaguancó.
Where my brother fell, cantata, text: Fayad Jamís.
My song.
Cumbanchero Variations (based on a work by Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández) Variants, choral and legend.
Victory of hope, for symphony orchestra, choir, soloists, actors, dance and cinema.