# Lázaro Valdés Dies, a Reference Point for Cuban Piano Music

**Date:** 01/02/2023

The distinguished Cuban artist Lázaro Valdés Espinosa passed away today in Havana at the age of 83, reported the Cuban Institute of Music (ICM).

A musician, researcher and director of the Son Jazz orchestra, he studied at the Marianao conservatory in this capital, and was the last pianist of Benny Moré's Gigante Band, a band he directed for several years after the death of the Bárbaro del Ritmo.

Recognized for his performances in genres such as Son and Jazz, his legacy constitutes a reference point for Cuban piano music, the ICM indicated in its message on the social network Facebook.

For his extensive work as a musician, he was awarded various recognitions, including the Raúl Gómez García Medal, from the Union of Culture Workers and the Distinction for National Culture, which is granted by the Ministry of Culture.