Eduardo Fabini

The Uruguayan composer Eduardo Fabini (1882-1950) was born in Solis de Matojo into a family of Italian origin. He developed an early musical talent and at the age of six learned to play the violin under the tutelage of his older brother. In 1891, his family moved to Montevideo, and soon thereafter the young Fabini enrolled in that city’s La Lira Conservatory Society. In 1899, he obtained a scholarship that allowed him to complete his studies at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels.

In 1903, upon his return to Montevideo, he became known as a soloist by performing at the Teatro Solis. In 1910, he co-founded the Uruguayan Association of Chamber Music, which became the most notable reference for that genre in the country. Fabini served as concertmaster in the Association’s orchestra.

Fabini was the first Uruguayan composer to obtain international recognition. His catalog includes works for piano, guitar, and choral pieces as well as a number of symphonic works. As his country’s cultural attaché to the U.S., between 1927 and 1929 he was provided the opportunity to publicize his works in that country. During this time, he was part of the group of composers that founded the Pan-American Association of Composers in New York, whose mission was to “promote the interpretation and greater appreciation of music written in America.”

Today, Fabini is considered a pioneer of Uruguayan musical nationalism and is also one of the most significant Latin American composers of the first half of the 20th century.

Maestro Fabini’s Compositions