The piano compositions of Reynaldo Fernández Pavón have caused an impact on us such, that they have reminded of those great nineteenth century masters who made it possible for this instrument to be crowned as the king of all instruments, precisely because the greatest masterpieces encompassed the most genuine aspects of the European popular art of that period. The intrinsic values of an Afro-Cuban culture, stylized and refined, mixed with formal universal elements, are what constitute the fundamental triumph of these masterpieces, and serve as proof that we have among us a composer who has achieved creative maturity with success. Las composiciones de piano de Reynaldo Fernández Pavón han causado un impacto tal, que nos han recordado a aquellos grandes maestros del siglo XIX que hicieron posible que este instrumento fuera coronado como el rey de todos los instrumentos, precisamente porque las grandes obras maestras abarcaban los aspectos más genuinos del arte popular europeo de ese período. Los valores intrínsecos de una cultura afrocubana, estilizada y refinada, mezclada con elementos universales formales, constituyen el triunfo fundamental de este disco y sirven como prueba de que tenemos entre nosotros un compositor que ha alcanzado la madurez creativa con éxito.
About the Author: Reynaldo Fernandez Pavon is a Cuban-American composer, pianist, professor, songwriter and author. Born in Havana, Cuba, the relationship between art and literature in his works started in 1962 when he began his music studies with a specialization in Classical Piano at Cuba's National School of Art. While there he had the privilege to study composition with American professor Federico Smith. After completing his initial studies, he enrolled in the Art History program at the University of Havana. He was awarded the "13th of March" music award in 1975 from the University of Havana for his compositions. His symphonic works and those for chamber orchestra have been interpreted by prestigious ensembles, such as, the Symphony Orchestra of Matanzas, the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, the Havana Chamber Orchestra, The Brindis de Salas Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Russian Federal Republic, and the Symphony Orchestra of Michoacan, Mexico, among others. In 1982-83 he received the EGREM music label "Best Musical Producer" Award for his discography work with the band Irakere and the Latin Jazz Quartet led by Chucho Valdés (Grammy winners). He has written music for documentaries of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) and the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT) some of those films won Prizes in international competitions. The CD Piano Forte- Cuban Master Works includes a selection of his works for piano. His first book of poems, Presagios (Predictions), received the First Mention award in the David Poetry Competition of the National Association of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC) in 1979. In 1980 he garnered First Prize in the same competition with the book Cruzando Mares (Crossing Oceans), published in 1981 by UNEAC Press. Between 1981 and 2014 he published other literary works and essays in Caimán Barbudo, Casa de las Américas, Palabra Abierta and News Papers and magazines of the City of Philadelphia. Composer of the music of the play Black Tales by Lydia Cabrera at Spanish Repertoire Theater (1995). ACE Award for Best Hispanic Musical Production in New York City (1997). His novel El Lirio del Prado was published in the year 2011, his book The Verses of Memory (English - Spanish edition) was published in the year 2016, and the novel El Repatriado in the year 2017 by Eniola Publishing.