Ernest

Ernest Cervera Astort

Barcelona , 1896
Barcelona , 1972

Composer, Performer i Teacher

He studied under A. Ribó, J. Barberà and E. Morera. Between 1917 and 1922 he was deputy director of the Orfeó Gracienc, in 1920 he cofounded the foundation of the Associació Íntima de Concerts and in 1923 he cofounded the Revista Catalana de Música together with A. Grau and J. Mª Pagès. He later settled in Santiago de Cuba, where he created the Orfeó Catalunya, the Consevatorio Cervera and the Symphony Orchestra in 1930. In 1931 he returned to Barcelona and devoted himself to music teaching at the Conservatori del and at the Institut-Escola of the Generalitat. From 1945, he conducted the Orfeó Gervasienc and between 1949 and 1965 he conducted the Schola Cantorum of the University of Barcelona. He composed music for choir, piano and cobla. His catalogue includes the sardanes Agredolça and La nit (both premiered in 1921), the children's cantata En Pere sense por (1972) and harmonized folk songs such as Nit de vetlla, Fum, fum, fum and El noi de la mare. Composers F.Taverna-Bech and Josep Cercós were among his student , and the cellist cellist M. Cervera i Millet was his son.