Mario Ruiz Armengol (known as "Mayito" or "Mister Harmony") (March 14, 1914 in

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, Mexico – December 22, 2002 in Cancun, Mexico), was a Mexican pianist, composer, arranger, conductor and music teacher. He was the son of pianist and conductor Ismael Ruiz Suárez and Rosa Armengol.

Early life and career

Ruiz Armengol started to play piano at eight years old and debuted as a conductor at fifteen, along with Leopoldo Beristaín. At sixteen years old Ruiz Armengol was one of the founding members of the

XEW-AM XEW-AM is a radio station in Mexico City, Mexico, broadcasting on the AM frequency of 900 kHz; it is branded as ''W Radio''. XEW-AM serves as the originating station for other "W Radio" stations around Mexico that carry some of its program ...

(a legendary Mexican radio broadcaster) music band.Sistema de información cultural. (2009, October 14). Mario Ruiz Armengol. Gobierno De México. https://sic.cultura.gob.mx/ficha.php?estado_id=30&table=artista&table_id=1791 He studied with José Rolón,

Rodolfo Halffter Rodolfo Halffter Escriche (October 20, 1900 – October 14, 1987) was a Spanish composer. Early years Born in Madrid, Spain, into a family of musicians, Rodolfo Halffter was the brother of Ernesto Halffter and uncle of Cristóbal Halffter, also c ...

and Joaquín Amparán, and in 1942 met Mexican composer

Manuel M. Ponce Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (8 December 1882 – 24 April 1948) was a Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten traditio ...

with whom he started a close friendship. By 1954 he was nicknamed "Mr. Harmony" by American musicians such as

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with '' Batgirl'' them ...

and

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

. Ruiz Armengol became very famous for his boleros. He also wrote more than 31 children's songs, 19 Cuban dances, 16 studies, 16 reflections, 32 miniatures, 5 waltzes, scherzos, minuets, sonatas, fantasies, preludes and piano works for four hands, chamber music for piano and violin, violincello, harp and flute. He was a highly reputed Mexican musician, a master of harmony and classical piano compositions.

References

* http://www.mruizarmengol.com/ * http://www.musicaunam.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=814&Itemid=132 * http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2002/12/24/06an1esp.php?origen=espectaculos.html * http://sic.conaculta.gob.mx/ficha.php?estado_id=30&table=artista&table_id=1791

External links

* Mexican composers Mexican male composers Musicians from Veracruz Writers from Veracruz 1914 births 2002 deaths 20th-century male musicians {{Mexico-musician-stub

Early life and career

References

Further reading

External links