Frank Fernández (pianist)
Frank Fernández Tamayo (born Mayarí, Oriente, 16 March 1944) is a Cuban pianist, teacher and composer. Fernández began playing the piano at age four and began lessons with his mother, Altagracia Tamayo, at age five. Tamayo was the director of the Obrón Academy in Mayarí. He was later taught by Esteban Forés in Mayarí. As an young man, Fernández moved to Havana, where he played in nightclubs and cabarets. He was admitted to the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, where he was taught by Margot Rojas. Critics have described Fernández as "a man touched by the divine," "one of  the master interpreters of the most sublime moments of music in the world" or "someone without precedent, an unforgettable pianist,". Fernández has written more than 650 works in different formats, from ballets, choirs and symphonies to arrangements of popular music, as well as television and radio themes. He has worked with Silvio Rogíguez, Vicente Feliú, and Pancho Amat. On August 18, 2015, at age 71, Fernandez made his U.S. performance debut at the Ravinia Festival, in Highland Park, Illinois.