César Pérez Sentenat, Cuban pedagogue, pianist, and composer, was born on November 18, 1896, in Havana. He studied theory and music theory with José Molina, and piano with Antonio Saavedra, Rafael Serrano, and Hubert de Blanck.

He studied in Paris with the maestros Joaquín Nin Castellanos and Saint-Requier, from the Schola Cantorum, from 1913 until 1922. Upon his arrival in Cuba, he began working as a piano and harmony teacher at the National Conservatory.

Along with Gonzalo Roig and Ernesto Lecuona, he participated in the founding of the Havana Symphony Orchestra, where he served as pianist and general secretary. He also participated with Amadeo Roldán in the founding of the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra in 1924.

He was a piano professor at the Municipal Conservatory of Havana for a period of fifteen years, and was appointed director of this center in 1931. He also contributed to the establishment of the Normal School of Music of Havana, with Roldán, and expanded the courses, programming evening classes.

César Pérez was appointed provincial music inspector of Havana in 1945 and general music inspector of the Ministry of Education in 1949, where he worked until 1952.

In 1961, he took over the chair of piano and conducting at the Guillermo Tomás Conservatory (San Juan Bosco No. 57, Guanabacoa, Havana), located in Guanabacoa. In 1965, he was elected general director of music for the National Council of Culture (CNC) and president of the Commission for the Reform of Music Education.

In his work “General Methods for Learning Music in Primary School,” Sentenat presents a series of projects that can be applied according to the needs of the process itself. He also presents some methodological guidelines that exemplify how to conveniently introduce the procedures in a classroom.

One of the contributions he made to Cuban music and music education in Cuba was the educational series of piano music, due to the need to create materials that would show specific difficulties in learning the instrument.

His musical output was limited, guided by a didactic approach and structural simplicity, framed within a nationalism with a rural emphasis.

His piano works include: “Cuban Suite in G Minor,” “Preludes in All Keys,” and “Four Pictures for a Pioneer.” For voice and piano: “Martianas,” “Three Country Songs,” and “Triptych of Cuban Christmas Carols.”

A recording of his work entitled Triptych of Cuban Christmas Carols was made in the 1950s.

César Pérez Sentenat conducted his last piano concert in 1972, at the Palace of Fine Arts in Havana (Trocadero Street between Zulueta and Monserrate Streets, Old Havana, Havana). He died on May 4, 1973.