Bruno Goyeneche

In 1872 the Spanish conductor and composer Bruno Goyeneche (1849-1936) arrived in the western Uruguayan town of Paysandú as the director of an ill-fated Zarzuela company. An outbreak of yellow fever closed the local seaports, and Goyeneche, tired of a seemingly interminable tour, decided to settle in Paysandú. Within a short amount of time he founded a music academy that helped to educate many fine musicians. Although his compositions include a number of different styles, his preference for writing sacred music garnered the most attention; in 1905, for example, he won first prize in a South American sacred music competition for his "Te Deum" in four voices. His catalog of sacred compositions also includes a Mass, a Stabat Mater and several motets. Amongst his secular compositions are various vocal and piano works, such as his famous "Himno a la Raza," as well as band and salon music. During the last few years of his life he left Paysandú for the frontier town of Rivera.

Maestro Goyeneche’s Compositions