Juan Bautista Plaza Alfonso (Caracas

Caracas

Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...

, Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

 June 19, 1898 - 1965) was a classical composer

Musical composition

Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...

. He began studies in medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 at the Central University of Venezuela

Central University of Venezuela

The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...

 but, with time, left in order to dedicate himself to music. His first teacher was Jesus Maria Suárez. He studied in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 from 1920 and 1923 and obtained the title of professor of sagrada (sacred) composition. After his return to Venezuela he was named Master of Chapel at Caracas Cathedral

Caracas Cathedral

The Caracas Cathedral is the seat of the archdiocese of Caracas, located in one corner of the Plaza Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela. The colonial chapel of the Trinity is notable because it is where the parents and wife of Simón Bolívar are buried.-History:...

 and carried out this position until the year 1948. In the Caracas Superior Music School he taught music history

Music history

Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...

 and appreciation to composer Antonio Lauro

Antonio Lauro

Antonio Lauro was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the Guitar in the 20th century.- Biography :Antonio Lauro was born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela...

 and singer Morella Muñoz

Morella Muñoz

Morella Muñoz , was a celebrated Venezuelan mezzosoprano.- Early life and career :She received primary education at the Venezuela Ricardo Zuloaga Experimental school, and the San José de Tarbes school...

.

Legacy

The most important compositions of Juan Bautista Plaza were El picacho abrupto, Poema Sinfónico, Cantata de Navidad, Las campanas de Pascua, Las horas, La fuente abandonada,soprano y orquesta, Poema lírico Vigilia, Fuga criolla and Fuga romántica, Elegía para orquesta y timbal, and Elegía para corno inglés and cuarteto de arcos. He also wrote notable religious music

Religious music

Religious music is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence.A lot of music has been composed to complement religion, and many composers have derived inspiration from their own religion. Many forms of traditional music have been adapted to fit religions'...

 (e.g., Misa en fa, Misa de la esperanza, Requiem a la meoria de su madre) and music for the piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 (e.g., Sonatina venezolana, Cuatro ritmos de danza).

The National Library of Venezuela

National Library of Venezuela

Biblioteca Nacional de Venezuela , is a central repository of books and newspapers of Venezuela, has the right to receive a copy of every book printed in Venezuela by a Venezuelan publisher. It collects books and magazines published in the country. It was established in Caracas in 1833...

, has a room named after him.