Nino Garcia

Nino García, a gifted classical composer who also performed as a singer and pianist, first encountered music during his childhood years. At fourteen he entered the Symphonic Orchestra of Viña del Mar, and while enrolled in composition lessons he performed with the ensemble Quinteto Hindemith. The 1970s brought his turn toward popular music after he joined the domestic Alba label, rose to become its director, and began working with Latin figures such as Antonio Prieto, Paloma San Basilio, and Sandro.

Following the 1980 release of Espejismos, he represented Chile at the OTI Festival with the song “Sin Razón.” Fragmentaria, the symphony he completed in 1993, preceded the 1994 scores Larga Distancia and El Debut de Ulises. A rhapsody written for the centenary of cinematography in 1996 ushered in the strongest period of his career. Throughout the following year he produced a striking series of pieces that opened with Formulaciones Anímicas and continued with Artículos de Concierto, Sonarita, and la Contaminación de la Primavera.

In February 1998 Nino García ended his life at the piano in an unforeseen event, leaving behind a substantial body of work.