Otto Chaviano Lleonart

Born in Cumanayagua, province of Cienfuegos.

Set designer and costume designer and stage director. He joined the Experimental Opera Group (1957), with his brother, tenor Hernando Chaviano.

He participated in some productions of the Pro Arte Musical Society (Teatro Auditorium, 1958-1959) and directed the production of Amelia va al baile, by Menotti, in the Sala Talía, 1962 (d. m. Pura Ortiz).

He was a stage assistant in the first opera season of the Provincial Culture Council (1961): Carmen, La traviata, Rigoletto and Fausto and of the National Lyric Theater of Cuba (assistant director): El conde de Luxemburgo (1966) and Tosca (1966). His stage productions of Menotti's operas El teléfono and La médium (Hubert de Blanck Hall, 1966; Gran Teatro de La Habana, 1981 and Teatro Principal de Ciego de Avila, during the Chamber Opera Festival, 1988), constitute his most important work for lyric art.

Also to his credit are, among others, the costume designs for the opera Tosca and the co-production of the National Lyric with the Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid, of El dúo de La Africana (1990, stage production by Fernández Montesinos).

His legacy is expressed in the Cuban spirit that permeated his work, in the imagination he displayed in his designs and in the intelligence with which he was able to overcome potential material limitations to find valid and convincing solutions.

From the 1960s onwards, he created dozens of set designs and costumes for the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, the National Lyric Theater, the Tropicana cabaret (where he worked closely with maestro Santiago Alfonso) and the Ballet de Camagüey, a company which he joined at the moment of its founding.

In 1990 he won first prize in the Rubén Vigón Scenic Design Competition and was awarded the Distinction for National Culture and the Alejo Carpentier Medal.

In recent years he was among the main promoters of Arte y Moda, not only through his imaginative works but also encouraging younger designers to engage with and interpret the proposals of the plastic arts of this most singular runway.

From 1962 onwards his name became forever linked to the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, becoming stage director and part of its Board of Directors, in addition to designing for some of its productions. He traveled to various nations with this company such as Viet Nam, Poland, China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and France; and when the Ballet de Camagüey was founded, he became its faithful collaborator for whom he created much of its repertoire.

Also in 1968, he directed the technical team for the show where the famous international vedette Josephine Baker performed, who wore during her last two visits to Cuba the pieces that the maestro conceived for her interpretation of Cuban musical numbers.
Otto's work knew no borders and extended to the National Lyric Theater and the Musical Theater of La Habana.

He was a member since 1979 of the Design Section of the Association of Stage Artists of the Uneac, of which he was President, and of the Association of Visual Artists.

He maintained a special relationship with Tropicana that included renowned productions such as ¡Oh, La Habana!, Brindis por Tropicana (Rubén Vigón prize, from the Uneac), and Tropicana en Salsa Cubana which was presented in the cities of New York and Los Angeles obtaining great praise from specialized critics, among which is the magazine Variety.

His prolific career is also evidenced by awards for best costume design at the Carnival of La Habana in 1980 and 1991, and his work with the Arte Moda project which allowed him to work with creators such as Alfredo Sosabravo and Cosme Proenza.

He received the Raúl Gómez García orders, the Distinction for National Culture, the Alejo Carpentier medal, and the Nicolás Guillén diploma from the Uneac; recognitions that bear witness to his fruitful creative trajectory, dedicated to providing the costumes of our stage with high aesthetic value and Creole visuality.

Otto Chaviano died in La Habana at age 76 from a prolonged cardiovascular illness.

Curriculum-Vignettes

Name: Otto Chaviano
In 1955 he graduated from Commercial Studies.
In 1957 he was a founder of the Experimental Opera Group presenting performances in the Theater Room of the National Museum and tours throughout the country. He also worked as assistant and stage director for national and international directors of the opera seasons of the Pro Arte Musical Society. In 1979 he joined the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). He was elected President of the Design Section of the Association of Stage Artists of the UNEAC.

In the 1960s he works for stage productions, collaborates in series for Cuban Television where he assumed the responsibility of stage director, assistant director and specialist. He worked for 10 years as Stage Director of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and Costume Designer. He also was part of the Artistic Direction of the National Lyric Theater.

During the 1970s he worked as Costume Designer in what is now TURARTE, provides Technical and Artistic Advisory to the Ballet de Camagüey.

In 1980 he directs a new stage production for the National Opera at the Gran Teatro de La Habana. He designs for the show "Tropicana en Salsa Cubana" presented in New York and Los Angeles where he obtained great praise from specialized critics. During this decade he participated in exhibitions and is part of the Association of Visual Artists of the UNEAC.

That same year he is elected at the V Congress of the UNEAC as a member of the National Council of the UNEAC. He has presented at several editions of the "Arte y Moda" Project.

He toured with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and with other projects of Musical Show Companies to China, Viet Nam, Mongolia, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and Zaire.
He possesses an extensive curriculum covering titles of designs for Opera, Zarzuela, Classical Ballet and Musical and Cabaret Shows.

Member of the Expert Council of the National Council of Performing Arts since its creation and of the jury of the Carnival of La Habana, as well as of the Artistic Council of the TURARTE company. He is part of the joint commission of the Institute of Music-UNEAC-MINTUR for the review and advisory of musical and cabaret shows, is part of the commission in charge of designs related to the Performing Arts created by the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets and of the evaluation commission of designers of the National Council of Performing Arts.

He has received several awards throughout his career, some of them are:
In 1980 he receives the Prize for best costume designer of the Carnival of La Habana.
He received the Raúl Gómez García Order medal for more than 25 years of fruitful artistic work.
In 1990 he participates in the First Rubén Vigón Scenic Design Competition, where he obtains the Prize for Best Design.
In 1993 the Ministry of Culture awards him the Distinction for National Culture medal as recognition of his long artistic career.
He is awarded in 1999 the Nicolás Guillén Diploma for his outstanding contributions to the development of Cuban Culture.
During 2001 he is awarded the Alejo Carpentier medal by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba