Frank Fernández is a Cuban pianist and composer who was born as Francisco Fernández Tamayo in Mayarí, Oriente, in 1944. He is famous for being the creator of the Cuban school of contemporary piano and for a prolific body of work that includes more than 650 compositions. Fernández began playing the piano at age four and achieved early professional recognition in 1966 after winning first prize at the UNEAC Piano Competition. He studied at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow before returning to Cuba to perform as a soloist and educator. His repertoire includes classical works and collaborations with musicians such as Chucho Valdés and the ensemble Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. His discography includes the studio recordings Frank Fernández y sus 2 pianos (1960), Música de la banda sonora original del serial “La gran rebelión” (1981), and Todo Cervantes (2001). Fernández has performed as a soloist with more than 100 orchestras and made a debut in the United States at the Ravinia Festival (2015).
