Herrera de la Fuente, Luis
Herrera de la Fuente, Luis
Herrera de la Fuente, Luis, Mexican conductor and composer; b. Mexico City, April 26, 1916. He took lessons in piano and violin before pursuing training in composition with Rodolfo Halffter. He composed some stage works but devoted himself principally to conducting. After establishing himself as a conductor in Mexico City with the Fine Arts Chamber Orch., he was music director of that city’s Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional (1955–72); he also served in that capacity with the Orquesta Sinfònica Nacional of Peru in Lima (1965–71). As a guest conductor, he appeared with orchs. in North America and Europe. After serving as music director of the Okla. City Sym. Orch. (1978–88), he returned to Mexico City and was music director of the Filarmònica de la Ciudad de Mexico from 1990.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire