Carlos Chávez

Abstract

Carlos Antonio de Padua Chávez y Ramírez (b. 1899–d. 1978) was one of Mexico’s leading composers, conductors, administrators, and musical educators during the 20th century. Born in Popotla, a suburb near Mexico City, on 13 June 1899, Chávez’s began his musical career with piano lessons, studying initially with Manuel M. Ponce. Then, at the age of sixteen, he became a music teacher during the changing social and political landscape of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). After successful publications of some of his short piano works, he soon received a commission from the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), José Vasconcleos, to compose a ballet. For this charge, Chávez chose an Aztec legend, labeling his work El fuego nuevo. Unfortunately, this work was never performed in Mexico, which led Chávez to seek other opportunities, first in Europe, then in New York City. Chávez’s collaborations with modernist composers and artists in New York City proved to be transformative for the composer, leading to a wave of compositions that reflected the modernist currents of the time. Upon returning to Mexico City, Chávez took on new roles, including the director of Orquesta Sinfónica Mexicana (later called the Orquesta Sinfónica de México), and then an appointment as the director of the Conservatorio Nacional, where he provided robust changes to the curriculum. In 1933, Chávez served as the chief of the Department of Fine Arts for the SEP and later collaborated with Paul Strand on his film project Redes (1935). His varying positions in Mexican institutions and his search for a Mexican musical identity initiated a wave of nationalism that can be heard in his works H.P. (1932) and Sinfonía India (1935) and his participation in the Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art Exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Later works reflected an approach to universalism and cosmopolitanism, such as the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1938). During the 1940s, Chávez became the director of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA), which oversaw several national artistic projects in Mexico. After resigning from INBA, Chávez returned to composition and taught courses at the Conservatorio Nacional. Chávez’s musical career was eclectic and diverse, spanning several important areas of Mexican musical and artistic culture. He rose to become one of the most recognized musicians in Mexico during the 20th century.