The Havana Contemporary Music Festival had its first edition in 1984. It is sponsored by the Musicians Association of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) (17th Street between G and H, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), and the Cuban Institute of Music (452, 15th Street, corner of F, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana). Maestro Guido López Gavilán is the promoter of this musical event, which takes place every year within the framework of Cuban music.

This week-long festival turns Havana into a meeting place for distinguished Cuban and foreign soloists, choirs, chamber orchestras, and instrumental ensembles performing works by renowned composers.

Activities such as lectures, auditions, master classes, and workshops take place on every day of this event, which takes place every year at the end of October and continues until the beginning of November.

At the Havana Contemporary Music Festival, you can hear works by prominent and experienced composers of Cuban and international music, such as the Cubans Harold Gramatges, Carlos Fariñas, Leo Brouwer, Alfredo Diez Nieto, Juan Blanco, Guido López-Gavilán, Roberto Valera, Héctor Angulo, Juan Piñera, Jorge López Marín, José María Vitier, Magalys Ruiz, Louis Aguirre, and Eduardo Martín. Also featured are pieces by young composers such as Teresa Núñez, Elvira Peña, Yanier Hechavarría, Siegrid Macías, Maureen Reyes, Jeysi León Molina, Waldo Lavaut, and Víctor Gavilondo.

Among the foreigners we can refer to Luigi Nono, Krystof Penderecki, Zyygniew Rudzinski, Hans Werner Henze, Sten Hanson, Luis de Pablo, Ramón Barce, Marlos Nobre, Gerardo Gandini, Manuel de Elías, Alfredo del Mónaco, Alfredo Rugeles, Celso Garrido Lecca, Manuel Enríquez, Xavier Montsalvatge, Florentín Giménez, Jorge Sarmientos.

The 21st session of the Havana Contemporary Music Festival, 2006, was dedicated to the Cuban composer Alejandro García Caturla. Its venues were the Minor Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (Oficios between Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana, Havana), the Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater (Calzada and D, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), and the Rubén Martínez Villena Hall. The event featured performances of works by composers from various countries, including Canada, Chile, Poland, Cuba, and Italy, among others. Symphonic and electroacoustic concerts, meetings, and master lectures were held with the participants at the UNEAC (Calle 17 between G and H, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), as well as displays of 20th-century musical creations and world premieres of some works, including Imágenes Siderales (2006) by Fernando García; Cinephile (2004), by Monica O’Reilly and The Questions (1985), by Eduardo Cáceres.

Among the participants who attended this event were: French pianist Elaine Reyes; Puerto Rican Alberto Rodríguez; Italian cellist Paola Bucán; and Canadian Mary Jo Carrabre.

The closing concert was conducted by maestro Guido López Gavilán, with performances of works by García Caturla.

The 22nd Havana Contemporary Music Festival, 2007, was dedicated to Héctor Ángulo on his 75th birthday and to Harold Gramatges on his 89th birthday. It featured a program dedicated to contemporary Cuban music in a variety of instrumental formats. The event began at the Minor Basilica of San Francisco de Asís (Oficios e/ Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana, Havana) with a concert of Cuban chamber music.

“I Am Like a Distracted Child,” written by Juan Ramón Jiménez, and “My Girl,” written by Nivaria Tejera and written by Roberto Valera, were performed by soprano Maité Fernández and pianist Leonardo Gell. The Promúsica duo performed “Orphics” by Juan Piñera; and “Sonata for Violin and Cello” by Carlos Fariñas, led by violinist Yadira Cobo and cellist Caridad Rosa Varona; these were some of the works performed in the festival’s opening concert. In addition to the world premiere of the work, “Del Retablo,” for piano and wind quintet by composer Héctor Angulo, featured a performance by the Santa Cecilia Quintet and accompanied by Leonardo Gell. The opening section culminated with the Havana Polyphonic Choir, conducted by Carmen Collado, who performed “De misa caribeña” by maestro Electo Silva.

Several prominent figures participated in this event, including the young Cuban pianist Aldo López Gavilán; Lucy Provedo; Paraguayan conductor and composer Florentín Jiménez, who conducted one of her works, Ritual Indígena; the Chilean Percussion Duo, who performed a concert exclusively for percussion instrument combinations with works from Latin America; Cristina Valdés, a pianist from the United States; the instrumental ensemble Nuestro Tiempo; the Havana Chamber Orchestra; the Música Eterna Orchestra; Vocal Luna and Vocal Sine Nomine, among others.

The world premiere of a work based on Afro-Cuban scenes by composer Alfredo Diez Nieto took place. It was conducted by Jorge López Marín and featured Lucy Provedo as soloist.

The closing ceremony was led by the National Symphony Orchestra along with Jorge Sarmiento, Guatemalan composer and conductor, and Zenaida Castro Romeu.

The 23rd festival, held in 2009, concluded with a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. Its venues included the Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater (Calzada and D, Vedado, Revolution Plaza, Havana), the Casa de las Américas (3rd and G Streets, Vedado, Revolution Plaza, Havana), and the Villena Hall of the UNEAC (17th and G Streets, Vedado, Revolution Plaza, Havana).

Various Cuban and international groups and soloists performed there. Among the latter were: the UAMUAZ Chamber Ensemble (Mexico); violinist Manuel Guillén; pianist María Jesús García; composer and pianist Josep María Balanyá (Spain); pianist Dora de Marinis (Argentina); the Arpeggione Duo (Uruguay); the Barcelona Percussion Ensemble from Catalonia (Spain); and the Saxophone Quintet from Japan.

In 2010, the 24th Havana Contemporary Music Festival was held. This festival paid tribute to, among others, Cuban musician Harold Gramatges. The event was dedicated to Cuban chamber music for various vocal and instrumental formats.

The opening and closing ceremonies took place at the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís (Offices between Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana, Havana). The opening concert featured works by several Cuban and foreign composers, including Peter Wettstein (Switzerland), Alejandro Cardona (Costa Rica), Rafael Aponte Ledeé (Puerto Rico), Manuel de Elías (Mexico), Jorge López Marín, Ariannys Mariño, and Leo Brower (Cuba). The international guest performance included Swiss flutist Antipe da Stella. The event concluded with a concert titled “Great Masters of the 20th Century.”

Among the venues that hosted the presentations were: UNEAC Villena Hall (17th Street between G and H, Vedado, Revolution Square, Havana), Che Guevara Hall of the Casa de las Américas (3rd Street and G, Vedado, Revolution Square, Havana), the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís (Offices between Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana, Havana), the San Felipe Neri Oratory (Aguiar and Obra Pía, Old Havana, Havana), the National Lyric Theater (Ignacio Agramonte No. 253, Old Havana, Havana) and the Casa del Alba (Line 556 and the corner of D, Vedado, Revolution Square, Havana).

The event featured lectures, auditions, master classes and workshops led by visiting artists, educational recitals, a panel of composers, and open chamber music and electroacoustic music classes. Two performances were offered under the title of Guitar Festival, in which the instrument was the star of the event.

Among the international guests at this celebration were the Dream Art Guitar Duo, guitarist Luis Velasco, and the Guitar Ensemble of the Instituto Superior de Música del Estado de Veracruz, all from Mexico; the Uruguayan String Quartet Struny; flutists Antipe da Stella from Switzerland and Karolina Leedo from Estonia and Denmark; and the Croma Trio from Chile. Also featured were composers Marvin Camacho from Costa Rica, Jean-Yves Bosseur from France, Felipe Ortiz from Uruguay, and Cristian Morales from Chile.

Soloists, choirs, chamber orchestras, and instrumental ensembles from Cuba performed works by composers such as Harold Gramatges, Carlos Fariñas, Leo Brouwer, Alfredo Diez Nieto, Juan Blanco, Guido López-Gavilán, Roberto Valera, Jorge Garciaporrua, Héctor Angulo, Juan Piñera, Jorge López Marin, José Maria Vitier, Magalys Ruiz, Louis Aguirre, and Eduardo Martín. They also performed works by young creators such as Teresa Núñez, Elvira Peña, Yanier Hechavarría, Siegrid Macías, Maureen Reyes, Jeysi León Molina, Waldo Lavaut, and Víctor Gavilondo.

Cuba was majestically represented by the National and Polyphonic Choirs of Havana, the Camerata Romeu, the Eternal Music group, and the Havana Soloists.

In 2011, the year of the 25th edition, the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asís (Oficios e/ Amargura y Churruca, Old Havana, Havana) was the venue for the event’s inaugural concert. This time, it was dedicated to Cuban chamber music, for various vocal and instrumental formats. Participants included musicians from Spain, Argentina, Denmark, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

Its venues were settings in the Historic Center of the City such as the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís (Oficios between Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana. Havana), the Oratory of San Felipe Neri (Aguiar and Obra Pía, Old Havana. Havana), in addition to the House of the Americas (3rd and G Streets, Vedado. Revolution Square. Havana), the House of Alba (Line 556 corner D, Vedado, Revolution Square. Havana), and the Villena Hall of the UNEAC (17th and G Streets between, Vedado, Revolution Square. Havana).