THE 15 MOST OUTSTANDING GUATEMALAN COMPOSERS - ART - 2025

The Guatemalan composers are an important part of the culture of this country. Some of the most prominent are Martha Bolaños, José Castañeda, Rafael Antonio Castellanos, Jesús Castillo Monterroso, among others, among others.

Guatemala is more than its Mayan heritage and its Castilian influence. It is its geography, flora, fauna, religion, gastronomy, it is also its festivals, writers, painters and, of course, its music.

Dieter Lenhoff

Guatemalan music is a wonderful hybrid between very varied styles. It shows the different historical stages that the country went through and the influence and impact that other cultures had.

The musical genres that give life and cultural richness to Guatemala range from traditional, popular and indigenous music such as the world-renowned marimba, the Mayan full of wind and percussion instruments, to the romantic with pianos, operas, marches and military bands..

As a result of this musical wealth, the country has renowned composers of melodies, classical music and marimba. You may also be interested in this list of scientists from Guatemala.

The 15 most important Guatemalan composers

1- José Domingo Bethancourt Mazariegos

He was born in Quetzaltenango, December 20, 1906 and died on February 29, 1980. He is one of Guatemala's favorite composers.

Thanks to the influence of her father Francisco, Bethancourt began her musical career when she was just 5 years old. At the age of 15 she decided to accompany her father on all her artistic tours with a group called "Dos de Octubre", which later, in 1932, changed their name to "Ideal Marimba".

Today, this group remains active and is a Cultural Heritage of the Nation. Among his best-known compositions are "The railroad of the highlands", in homage to the inauguration of said railway in 1929, "Santiaguito", "Verónica", "Brisas del Samala", "San Pedro Soloma" and "Xelaju de mis memories".

2- Martha Bolaños de Prado

She was born in Guatemala City in January 1900 and died in June 1963. She was not only a composer, but also an actress, pianist, and singing and theater teacher in public and private schools.

He studied Dramatic Art and presented his zarzuelas, comedies and operas in different places, including the Renaissance Theater. He belonged to the National Artistic Group for a year, from 1918 to 1919, and in 1931 he founded his own Children's Theater Company.

He also founded the Children's Radio Theater and an academy of music and song that proudly bears his name. In 1962 she received the Order of Quetzal and 30 years later she was awarded the José Milla film prize.

In addition, there is an order with his name that honors the most outstanding artists in song, theater and dance. Her most important melodies are «Chancaca», iversary Alma mixqueña »,« El zopilote »,« Pepita »and ulting Negros frijolitos».

3- José Castañeda

He was born in Guatemala City in 1898 and died in the same place in 1983. He was a composer, conductor and director of institutions such as the National Conservatory, the General Directorate of Culture and Fine Arts and the National Indigenous Institute.

He trained in Paris, where he studied contemporary composition and founded the Ars Nova Orchestra, which from 1945 to the present is known as the National Symphony Orchestra.

He developed his own musical notation system, this is reflected in his book The Polarities of Rhythm and Sound, published in 1967. Among his most recognized melodies are "The Feathered Serpent", "The Maiden Before the Concave Mirror" and "The chalana ”, considered the hymn of the university students in Guatemala.

4- Rafael Antonio Castellanos

He was born in Antigua Guatemala in 1725 and died in 1791. He was a composer and also a pre-classical chapelmaster, continuing the inheritance left to him by his uncle Manuel José de Quirós, the cathedral's chapelmaster.

I study musical composition, violin and harp. He devoted himself to Catholic liturgical music, teaching the children of the choir, composing and directing the music he played at Vespers, Matins and Masses.

Among his most important compositions are "Joyful is the Mother", "Mysterious Ark", "Winged Seraphim", "Conform the stars" and "Soft Zephyr".

5- Jesus Castillo Monterroso

He was born in San Juan Ostuncalco on September 9, 1877 and died in Quezaltenango on April 23, 1946. He was a composer and researcher. His main interest was indigenous and autochthonous music.

Among his works is the compilation of indigenous music from various regions of the country. Thanks to his extensive ethnophonistic research, he was able to publish his book La Música Maya-Quiché, Región de Guatemala and composed an opera called "Quiché Vinak."

Some of his most famous compositions are "The magic fabrics", "Overture in Sun", "Minuet Maya", "Sunset dance" and "Hieratic procession". Some of these were even adapted for marimbas.

6- Ricardo Castillo

He was born in Quezaltenango on October 1, 1891 and died on May 27, 1966. He studied composition and violin at the Conservatory of Paris and was a professor at the National Conservatory of Guatemala, teaching History of Music, Orchestration, Harmony, Composition and Counterpoint.

His works have their own personal musical style. These are generally based on Mayan mythology and include elements of French Neoclassicism and Impressionism. His three most outstanding works are "Invocation, for wood, trumpet and strings" (1944), "Contrasts, quartet of winds" (1946) and "Tribute to Ravel, violin and piano" (1954).

7- Rocael Hurtado Mazariegos

He was born in Quetzaltenango in April 1900 and died in the same place in May 1973. He was a composer and marimbista. At the age of 12 he began his musical production. Hurtado Hermanos played on the marimba and years later managed to be its conductor.

In addition, he was director of the marimba La Voz de Los Altos. Among his original pieces, full of regional rhythms, are «Adoración», «Flirting», «Gitana mía» and «Murmullo».

8- Rafael Juárez Castellanos

He was born in Antigua Guatemala in January 1913 and died in Guatemala City in December 2000.

For his career, he is the most awarded composer in the history of Guatemala, he also served as a band director. From the age of 13 he was part of the Martial Band as a trumpet player and he stayed there for a long time.

His military marches are still performed in parades and concerts, his funeral stains are heard in Holy Week processions and his hymns are still sung in the institutions for which he composed them.

His outstanding works are "Long live independence", "Military Alma mater", "Freedom Day", "Central American Union" and many more.

9- Dieter Lehnhoff Temme

He was born in Guatemala City, May 27, 1955. He is a Guatemalan musicologist, composer, and conductor with Austrian blood.

He was trained at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC with the best teachers and graduated with the highest honors.

His most important contribution is the foundation of the Institute of Musicology of the Rafael Landívar University and the Department of Music of the University of the Valley of Guatemala, through which he hopes to strengthen the level of higher education of music and defend the musical identity of the country.

His works have been performed in almost all of Europe, America and Asia, but his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1, premiered at the National Theater of Guatemala, is one of the most important.

10- Marvin José Lara Hernández

He was born in Guatemala City, September 29, 1989. He is not only a composer, but also a singer and a production graduate. In 2008, he began producing his first album with the help of the Latin Music Group.

He is a member of the AEI (Association of Authors and Interpreters of Guatemala), since 2010 and has collaborated with countless charitable causes, starting with the Telethon. In 2011 she recorded her first single called "Todo lo que quiero", and among her other songs are "Zumba", "Tu amor real", "Soy sovereign" and "Intocables".

11- Benigno Mejía Cruz

He was born in Guatemala on June 11, 1911 and died in 2004. Composer and also clarinetist of the National Symphony Orchestra for many years.

He always leaned towards traditional and indigenous music. He became interested in organological research, which is why he created various wind instruments using Creole materials and typical of indigenous cultures such as tecomate and bamboo.

He was the founder of the Flor de Retama folk group and his most important works are "Regional Suite", "Fantasy of sones and basins" and "Indigenous Rhapsody No. 1 and 2".

12- Fabian Rodriguez

Guatemala, 1862 - 1929. He was a band director and composer. He led the country's highest band, the Banda Marcial de Guatemala, during the period of 1897 and 1912.

He composed an endless number of marches and patriotic pieces such as the triumphal march "Libertad", "The return", "My country" and "Minerva", which was awarded in 1904.

13- Francisco «Paco» Pérez Muñoz

Huehuetenango, April 25, 1917 - El Petén, October 27, 1951. He was a composer, singer and guitarist. His first appearance was at the age of 6 at the Municipal Theater of Huehuetenango.

Then, in 1927, he moved to Quetzaltenango where he continued to perform as a declaimer and singer. In 1935 he made his debut as a singer and formed the Trío Quetzaltecos.

He performed many concerts and his waltz «Luna de Xelajú» today is part of the identity of any Guatemalan. Other famous songs are "Azabia", "Patoja linda", "Chichicastenango" and "Nenita".

14- Julián Paniagua Martínez

Guatemala, September 5, 1856 - May 27, 1946. Band director, composer and violinist of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Musical Union.

His father Francisco, who was a violinist, taught him all his basic musical training. His first composition, known as the waltz «Whooping cough», was made at the age of 12 and at the age of 15 he was already the director of the Tejutla band, which is why he was considered a child prodigy.

In 1894, he invented the modern or chromatic marimba together with Sebastián Hurtado. He was also director of the Banda Minerva, founder of the Honor Guard and creator of a publishing house that distributed printed music.

His most recognized compositions are the hymns to Jesus Nazareno de Candelaria, the Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, "Litany to the Virgin" and "Solo and choir to the Blessed Virgin."

15- Benedict Ovalle Bethancourt

Quetzaltenango, 1894 - ibid., 1995. He was a composer and played on the Maripiano marimba, founded by his father. In 1937, Benedicto and his brother created their own marimba, called Estrella Altense.

In 1941 he became a member of the National Police Orchestra playing the cello, but he never stopped playing marimba. Among his most important works are "Bertita", "Flores quetzaltecas", "Carmela" and "Medalla de oro", awarded in 1921.

References

1. Furman, M; Galván, G. (2016) Latin American Classical Composers. A Biographical Dictionary. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 3rd edition.
2. Olsen, D; Sheehy, D. (2007) The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music. Routledge, 2nd edition.
3. De Gandarias, I. (2009) Dictionary of music in Guatemala. (Phase I: academic area). University of San Carlos of Guatemala. Center for Folk Studies. Recovered from digi.usac.edu.gt.
4. González, A. (2016) Five centuries of sound. Six key musical genres of history. Recovered from prensalibre.com.