Born in Havana, Cuba, Leo Brouwer (b. 1939) started learning classical guitar at the age of thirteen and studied with Isaac Nicola. He would continue his studies in the United States at the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford. He additionally studied at The Juilliard School with Vincent Persichetti and Stefan Wolpe (composition).

In 1971, Brouwer received a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service and was guest composer at the Academy of Science and Arts of Berlin. He has attended numerous guitar compositions across the world and is closely associated with the Concurso y Festival Internacional de Guitar de la Habana. Aside from his compositional and solo work, Brouwer has conducted some of the most prestigious orchestras, most notably the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Brouwer has composed for orchestra, chamber, film, ballet, theatre and solo repertoire. His compositional style was significantly influenced by Cuban folk music which included Cuban rhythms and aleatoric techniques. His compositions from the 1960s and 1970s reflect avant-garde elements while his recent works demonstrate tonal and modal composition techniques. Brouwer’s guitar compositions are used in fundamental guitar pedagogical curriculum throughout much of the world.

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