Francisco Fernández Tamayo

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A towering figure of Cuban piano performance, he has been recognized by audiences and critics from 36 countries as a major force in world music. His brilliant artistic trajectory spanning more than half a century as an interpreter of nearly every musical genre, the significance of his pedagogical mastery, his compositions, orchestrations, research, recording productions, and his work as a cultural promoter confirm this.

Frank Fernández's art has its genesis in four fundamental pillars:

• The appropriation of the principal elements of nineteenth-century piano technique, through his teacher Margot Rojas, a student of Alexander Lambert, who in turn was a disciple of Franz Liszt.

• His knowledge of the famous Russian school of piano, acquired during five years of advanced studies with the great pianist and Professor Emeritus Víctor Merzhánov at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, culminating with "Summa cum laude".

• The mastery of the enormous wealth of tradition in Cuba during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through his research and recordings of the works of Manuel Saumell, Ignacio Cervantes, and Ernesto Lecuona.

• Early involvement with the best exponents of Cuban and Latin American popular music.

This comprehensive education and having come into contact with music without dogmatic distinctions is what has allowed him to successfully address not only the most diverse styles of classical music, but also to venture into exceptional yet wonderful occasions in nearly all genres of popular music. Perhaps that is why it has been said:

• "...the Frank Fernández phenomenon is unrepeatable..."

• "...he is a being touched by divinity..."

• "He has the strength and power of cognition."

• "...one of the masterful interpreters of the most sublime moments of universal music".

• "He is one of the greatest pianists in the world, for his virtuosity and versatility".

Born in Mayarí, Cuba, on March 16, 1944, he began playing piano "by ear" at age four. One year later his first teacher was his mother, Altagracia Tamayo, director of the Orbón Academy in his hometown.

He maintains a brilliant career as a concert performer, presenting himself in prestigious concert halls of musical tradition in Europe, Asia, and Latin America such as: Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Madrid, Warsaw, Prague, Luxembourg, Barcelona, Riga, Osaka, Vancouver, as well as in concerts with orchestras from Russia, Japan, Bulgaria, Mexico, Brazil, Romania, Holland, Colombia, Germany, Korea, Yugoslavia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Poland, Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, and Cuba, among others.

His artistic performances have been met with standing ovations and many of them have been considered significant cultural events.

Some facts of significance as an interpreter:

GERMANY: He was invited to premiere the Chamber Room of the Shauspielhaus in Berlin opening the Cycle "Great Masters of the Piano," being until 1984 the only Latin American to whom this honor was granted, and in 2002 in the same city of Berlin, he performed the Opening of the Gala for the World Tourism Convention at the Messe Theater.

TOKYO: His performance was selected among the ten most important events of 1992 in Japan.

PRAGUE: In 1988, he was chosen among the world's best pianists to perform Tchaikovsky's Concerto No. 1 in the same Smetana Hall where the composer himself directed it for the first time a century before.

PARIS: He offered the Closing Gala for the 50th anniversary of UNESCO in the Main Hall of its headquarters.

RUSSIA: He is among the few prestigious international performers who have been invited on six occasions to perform in the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, considered one of the six most famous acoustics in the world, performing as soloist with the principal orchestras of that country.

COLOMBIA: The most visited country in Latin America (25 occasions) where he has performed in its main theaters and with its principal orchestras. Among other distinctions in that country he received the "Shield of Bogotá".

CUBA: In 1988, he premiered the cycle of Beethoven's five concertos with the National Symphony Orchestra on two consecutive nights; he has inaugurated the "Dolores Hall" in Santiago de Cuba, the "Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís" and the Concert Hall of the "José Martí Memorial"; he has been the principal soloist in the Galas for the centennial of the birth of Ernesto Lecuona, in the Closing Gala for the bicentennial of Franz Schubert's death, and in 2010 he was selected to officially inaugurate the 200th anniversary of Federico Chopin's birth, with his recital declared as the Opening of "Chopin Year" in Cuba.

HOLLAND: He inaugurated the GLOBAL PANEL in 1997.

MADRID: At the Palacio de San Fernando of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts he performed the presentation concert for the first worldwide edition in recording and scores of the complete works of dances and contradanzas by Ignacio Cervantes and Manuel Saumell, "Fathers of Cuban Music".

MEXICO: He was ranked among the world's best pianists for his successful participation in the XVII International Cervantino Festival of the Arts; he performed at the Palace of Fine Arts the Closing Concert of the XVIII International Music Festival "Miguel Bernal Jiménez" as well as the Gala Concert for the 460th anniversary of the founding of the city of Morelia, in addition to performing with great success at the Ollín Yoliztli Cultural Center and other venues.

ECUADOR: He reinaugurated the Grand Theater Civic Center, the new home of the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra, and has offered standing ovations performances at the National Sucre Theater in Quito.

PANAMA: He was invited by the President of the Republic for the concert celebrating the 488th anniversary of the founding of the city.

CANADA: He debuted in the cities of Vancouver and Regina with great success in 2009 and was invited again in 2010, performing a dazzling concert before more than 2,100 people at the Conexus Center in Regina.

VENEZUELA: Among his many performances in various cities of the country, he recently performed a memorable concert in Caracas with one of the best international orchestras: the Young National Orchestra "Simón Bolívar" at its new headquarters.

SANTO DOMINGO: Opening Gala of the Culture Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2001.

QATAR: The documentary about his life and work titled "With the Soul in the Hands" was selected among documentaries from 96 countries to open the Al Jazeera Festival, the world's largest by the participation of countries and documentaries, which adds additional successes to his brilliant career.

His work in composition and orchestration is of great universality and Cuban character. He has written more than 650 works for different formats and has won several prizes in composition and orchestration.

His work appears in more than 150 recordings as performer, composer, arranger, and musical director, as well as producer in the principal genres of the media, classical music, and the best traditions of popular music, collaborating with the most important artists of the Cuban Nueva Trova Movement, new Latin American song, soloists, and instrumental ensembles of diverse kinds. His recordings have received numerous awards throughout his career.

His experience transcends the national educational sphere. In many countries he is considered "the creator of the contemporary Cuban school of piano". His students have received dozens of international prizes in competitions such as: "Tchaikovsky", "Margaret Long", "Montreux", "Manresa", "Teresa Carreño" and others. He is founder of the Superior Institute of Art of Cuba and the Piano Chair of the Americas "Judith James" in Venezuela. He is currently President of the International Jury of Piano "Ignacio Cervantes", teaches master classes in Cuba and abroad, and participates as a juror in important national and international events.

He has received more than two hundred national and international awards and recognitions.

Some special prizes, honors, and recognitions:

• Doctor Honoris Causa in Art.
• National Prize for Music (for lifetime achievement)
• Steinway Artist
• "Rafael Alberti" Prize (for contributions to humanity)
• Winner of the "Prague Gold" of Czech television
• "Félix Varela" Order, First Degree (the highest distinction granted to Cuban intellectuals)
• First Prize in the UNEAC National Piano Competition 1966 (Scholarship for advanced studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow)
• Second Place and Silver Medal at the International Piano Competition "Teresa Carreño" in Venezuela.
• Prize of Honor at CUBADISCO (for lifetime achievement)
• "Master of Youth" (the highest award from young people for lifetime achievement and example as paradigm for new generations of writers and artists)
• "Caracol de Música" Prize as Best Original Film, Radio and Television Soundtrack (prize received four times)
• First and Second Prize for Choral Music (First National Competition of Choral Works, 1965)
• Grand Prize for Orchestration in the "Adolfo Guzmán" Competition (prize received four times)
• "Shield of Bogotá" (recognition granted to foreign artists with the greatest success)
• "Phonogram Producer" Prize (for lifetime achievement, Cuba considering this category for the first time)
• Medal for the 280 Years of the University of Havana (previously granted to only two Cuban intellectuals: Alicia Alonso and Cintio Vitier)
• First Grand Prize for Classical Music (for the album Lecuona-Gershwin)
• CUBADISCO Prize 2002 in the "Instrumental Music" category (for original music from the telenovela "Tierra Brava")
• EGREM Prize for Performance (for the performance of Beethoven's 4th Concerto)
• Diploma of Honor "Master of Artistic Education" (delivered for the second time in the history of Cuban art)
• "Best Soloist" Prize (Pyongyang Festival of the DPRK)
• Julio Antonio Mella Medal (granted by the Council of State)
• "National Culture" Distinction
• "Beny Moré Baton" Prize (for the orchestration of the song: "You Are the Music I Have to Sing")
• EGREM Silver Prize (for the album "From Music")
• Beny Moré Prize (for his continuous work on behalf of Cuban music)
• CUBADISCO Prize in the "Concert Soloist" category (Album Vol. II "Beethoven Sonatas")
• "Alejo Carpentier" Medal
• CUBADISCO Prize 2000 in the "Concert Soloist" category (for the CD "All Mozart")
• "Valencia City Button" Distinction
• "For Cuban Education" Distinction
• UNEAC Merit Artist (Highest distinction granted by the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists)
• Eight nominations for the National Prize for Artistic Education
• More than ten CUBADISCO Prize nominations in different categories (five of them for the CD "Chopin Nocturnes")

Frank Fernández is married to cellist Alina Neyra and has two children: Frank Ernesto, an oboist, and Lianne, a piano graduate from the Superior Institute of Art.