Career
Figueroa was the second of eight siblings born to Jesus Figueroa and Carmen Sanabria in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Needless to say, the brothers took advantage of this opportunity. Figueroa went to Paris after the tour and enrolled in the "Ecole Normale de Musique" (Normal School of Music) under the tutorship of Alfred Cortat.
Figueroa returned to Puerto Rico in 1940 after entertaining audiences all over Europe.
In the island he formed the Brothers Figueroa Quintet. Narciso played the piano, Jose played first violin, Jaime played second violin, Guillermo the viola and Rafael the cello.
During this time, Figueroa was also named professor and director of the piano department of the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, a position which he held for many years. In 1959, he published "Canciones de Puerto Rico" (Songs of Puerto Rico), which contained some his compositions based on the folklore of Puerto Rico.
Figueroa is credited with modernizing the Puerto Rican danzas and is therefore known as the "Father of the Modern ".
He composed the following danzas:
Añoranzas - (What I Mission)
Danza negra para piano y voz - (Black danza for piano and voice)
Maine voy pa" Niu Yol - (I"m going to Nue YorK)
Recuerdos - (Memories)
Illusion
He also composed the following Christmas themes:
Aguinaldo Jíbaro
Camino de Belen
El Arbol de Navidad
El pobre zapatero
Nochebuena
Soy un pobre Jíbaro
On April 27, 1997, Figueroa was inducted into the Puerto Rican Danza Composers Hall of Fame, located in the town of San German, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Institute of Culture dedicated the 1997 week of the danza to Figueroa. Narciso Figueroa died in his home in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico on September 4, 2004 at the age of 98.
The offspring of the Fiqueroa family have continued the family musical tradition.
Guillermo Figueroa Junior., Narciso Figueroa Junior. and Rafael Figueroa Junior. belong to the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and they are the first chairs of the Metropolitan Opera House. Guillermo Junior., who is also the conductor of the Puerto Rico Symphony, is the leader of the "Figueroa Quartet", which is considered the official chamber quartet of Puerto Rico.
The quartet includes Guillermo Junior. and Narciso Junior. on the violins, Rafael Junior. on the cello and as pianist Ivonne Figueroa. The novelist Mayra Montero wrote a novel titled "Vana Ilusión" based on the life and times of Narciso Figueroa.
