Esteban Salas y Castro

Infobox Person
name=Esteban Salas y Castro


caption=
birth_date=birth date|1725|12|25|df=y
birth_place=Havana, Cuba
death_date=death date and age|1803|7|14|1725|12|25|df=y
death_place=Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

Esteban Salas y Castro (December 25 1725 – July 14 1803) was a Cuban composer of religious music. [Hernández Balaguer, Pablo 1987. "Los villacicos, cantadas y pastorelas de Esteban Salas". La Habana.] His compositions focused chiefly on vocal music, and are a fine representation of the late Baroque style. Although heavily influenced by French and Italian works of the period, his music is considered to incorporate an original Latin American component.

He became a teacher and head of music at the Chapel of Music at the cathedral of Santiago de Cuba from 1764. He also studied theology and canon law and was ordained a priest in Santiago de Cuba in 1790. Salas composed his last carol for Christmas 1801.

Interest in his works was revived during the twentieth century following the rediscovery of many of his scores during the 1940s by the Cuban novelist and musicologist, Alejo Carpentier.

The music conservatory in Santiago de Cuba is named for him.

References