Oscar Lorenzo Fernández

Composer Oscar Lorenzo Fernândez was a major exponent of the nationalist school in 20th century Brazil. He is best known for his orchestral piece Batuque. In 1923, when his mentor fell ill, Fernândez was appointed as his substitute. That turned into a permanent appointment two years later. By that time, Fernândez was already an experienced composer. Fernândez's early works were influenced by French Impressionism and had little specifically Brazilian content. That changed around 1923 when he began to incorporate Brazilian folk dance rhythms into his music. He founded the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música in Rio de Janeiro in 1936 and remained its director for the rest of his life. Fernândez died in Rio on August 27, 1948. As of the mid-2020s, Batuque had been recorded more than a dozen times, and recordings of some 35 of Fernândez's other compositions were available.