Fernández Blanco studied in Madrid under Conrado del Campo and in Vienna under Franz Schreker. Returning to Madrid in 1935, he aligned with the Republican faction and was named a representative of the government's Music Council. After the Republican defeat in 1939 he sought refuge from the White Terror in Viascón, a hamlet in Pontevedra where he composed his Dramatic Overture. In 1941 he moved to Barcelona, where he worked as a pianist in local zarzuela companies. Soon he stopped composing.