Arturo Elías Bonachet Huguet

Cuban clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, band director and music pedagogue.

He began his musical studies with Spanish musician Jarque Gómez. He also studied cello with the Frenchman Ledeaux; piano with Chartrand and César Pérez Sentenat, and harmony with Mexican pedagogue Manuel María Ponce and Spaniard Pedro San Juan. With the latter he also learned counterpoint, fugue, composition and orchestration.

He began his professional career in 1913 when he obtained, through competitive examination, the position of principal clarinetist of the Municipal Band of Cienfuegos; he later was a performer with the Navy Band and the Municipal Band of La Habana, also performing as a principal saxophonist.

He was founder of the Symphonic Orchestra, was a member of the Ignacio Cervantes Orchestra, which he conducted on different occasions, as well as the Giralt and Brindis de Salas orchestras. He worked with renowned international conductors such as Erich Kleiber, Aram Jachaturian and Manuel Duchesne Morrillas.

He was a professor of clarinet, saxophone, music theory, solfège, harmony and composition at the Municipal Conservatory of La Habana and assistant director of the National Concert Band.

Works
Symphonic music: Capricho cubano, 1940; Hacia la vida, 1941; Intermezzo frívolo, 1942; Motivos cubanos, 1944; Serenata cubana, 1949; Las parrandas remedianas, 1960; Romanza; Ecos épicos.

Chamber music: Quartet, 2 violins, viola and cello, 1944; Elegía instrumental, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, 1959; Prelude, 4 saxophones, 1966; Fugue, 2 violins, viola and cello; Andante, cello and piano, Elegante, clarinet and piano.

Band music: El coche negro; Marches: Tiempos nuevos, 1940; Capablanca; La bandera cubana; El Mayor.

Voice and piano: Soy mensajera, 1929; !Oh visión!, Qué breve es la vida, 1932; A la libertad, 1937; Lindas noches cubanas, 1938; Acuarela, 1939; Perdón, 1940; Siempre quiero soñar, 1952; A la luz de tu sombra, 1959; Nadie podrá vencerte, 1963; Los recuerdos; Tus ojos; El secreto.