Heitor Villa-Lobos was born on March 5, 1887 in Rio de Janeiro. His mother, Noêmia, raised Heitor and his siblings, while his father, Raul worked at the National Library and was an amateur musician. Constant exposure to music from an early age, combined with the support and encouragement from family members, helped the young Brazilian form a strong passion for various musical genres and colors of sound. At age six, he studied the cello with his father and later received a copy of J.S. Bach's Well Tempered Clavier from his aunt. His fascination with the preludes and fugues of the Baroque master helped to inspire one of Villa-Lobos' most recognized compositions, Bachianas Brasileiras. In addition to his appreciation for western art music and works by European individuals, Villa-Lobos embraced numerous types of folk music from his homeland. During his travels through Brazil in the early 1900's, Heitor was exposed to hundreds of sounds and styles which he found to be true representations of Brazilian nationalism.
Photos courtesy of the Villa-Lobos Museum in Rio de Janeiro.
