Rafael Suárez (composer)

Rafael Suárez Mujica (December 1, 1929 - September 30, 1971) was a Venezuelan composer,[1] conductor, and arranger.

[2][3][4] Suárez was born in El Poblado, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela.

He began his musical studies in 1945 at the Escuela Superior de Música in Caracas under the direction of Maestro Ramos and later under the direction of Maestro Vicente Emilio Sojo, until 1952.

Later, he travelled to Europe to undertake advanced music studies with Maestro Dante Ullu, head of the chair of advanced score reading, composition, orchestral conducting, counterpoint, and fugue at the Academia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy.

Many of his best known pieces were created for the Quinteto Contrapunto,[5][6] a group which he founded in 1962, and for which he wrote vocal arrangements with demanding technical requirements of traditional Venezuelan folk songs.