Born in Ciudad Bolívar, Aug 3, 1917
Died in Caracas, April 18, 1986
- Guitarist and composer Antonio Lauro initially pursued piano as his primary instrument at the Caracas Conservatory but later changed to guitar after hearing Paraguayan guitarist Agustín Barrios.
- Although Lauro wrote for a variety of media, he is best known for his guitar music.
- Lauro was particularly fond of Valses venezolanos (Venezuelan waltzes), “characterized by rhythmic vitality, teasing hemiolas and lyrical melody.” His music has a distinct sense of nationalism.
- For years, Lauro toured South America with the folk music trio Los Cantores del Trópico.1
- In the early 1950s, Lauro was imprisoned by the military junta for his democratic ideals. According to Naxos, Lauro “later shrugged off the experience, telling his friends that prison was a normal part of life for the Venezuelan man of his generation.” (!)2
- Shortly before he died in 1986, Lauro received the Premio Nacional de Musica, the highest artistic award in Venezuela.3
Learn More
Sources
- John W. Duarte, “Lauro, Antonio,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed April 20, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000043603.
- “ANTONIO LAURO (1917-1986),” Naxos, accessed April 27, 2023, https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Antonio_Lauro_21857/21857.
- James Stewart, “Timeline: Antonio Lauro (1917-1986)” Vermont Public (2021), accessed April 27, 2023, https://www.vermontpublic.org/podcast/timeline/2021-07-19/antonio-lauro-1917-1986.
Pieces