Luis Freitas Branco

Luís de Freitas Branco was a prominent figure in the development of Portuguese music in the first half of the 20th century. He was born into an aristocratic family with close ties to the royal family in Portugal. He studied piano, violin, organ, and composition in Lisbon, Berlin, and Paris, where he met Claude Debussy and was influenced by the impressionist style. He returned to Portugal and became a professor of composition at the Lisbon Conservatory of Music, where he reformed the musical education and taught many notable students. He also wrote several books and articles on music history, especially on the musical works of King John IV of Portugal, who was an accomplished composer himself. He was involved in various cultural and political movements, such as the Integralismo Lusitano, a monarchist and traditionalist group. He faced some difficulties with the authorities of the Estado Novo regime, and was suspended from his official duties in 1939. He continued to compose and to give lectures on the radio until his death in 1955. He was the brother of the conductor Pedro de Freitas Branco, and the father of the musicologist João de Freitas Branco. He composed four symphonies, several symphonic poems, chamber music, and other works that reflect his eclectic and innovative style, combining elements of classical, romantic, impressionist, and modernist music. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese composers of all time.