Frank Fernandez

Frank Fernández Tamayo (born Mayarí, Oriente, 16 March 1944) is a Cuban pianist, teacher and composer. Frank Fernández began playing the piano at 4 years old.A year later he began with his first teacher--his mother--Altagracia Tamayo, director of the Obrón Academy in his birthplace.He was taught by Esteban Forés in his home town of Mayarí.He moved to Havana, where he played in nightclubs and cabarets.He was admitted to the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, and was taught by Margot Rojas.A classically trained musician, Frank Fernández studied with some of the best teachers in the world.Throughout all his years as an artist, critics have described him as "a man touched by the divine," "one of the master interpreters of the most sublime moments of music in the world" or "someone without precedent, an unforgettable pianist," among others.Fernández has written more than 650 works in different formats, from ballets, choirs and symphonies to arrangements of popular music, television, and radio.He has worked with artists such as Silvio Rogíguez, Vicente Feliú, Pancho Amat and more. On August 18, 2015, At the age of 71, Frank Fernandez had his performance debut in the United States at the Ravinia Festival, in Highland Park, Illinois.