Education
Born in Panama City, he studied composition under Ernst Krenek and conducting under Dimitri Mitropoulos, Stanley Chapple, and Leon Barzin before becoming director of the Institute of Music and Artistic Director and conductor of the National Symphony of his native country.
Career
Later he was assistant director of the Latin American Music Center (LAMúsiCa), professor of composition at Indiana University, and, from 1972, distinguished professor emeritus at Illinois State University. Several of his compositions have been recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta (Eight Miniatures for Small Orchestra, Paul Freeman, conductor, Cedille Records) and various chamber music groups and soloists. He has appeared as guest conductor in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, and in the United States.
His " breve" for solo piano, composed in 1966, is published by Chaplain to the Forces Peters.
His Second Symphony was performed by the Seattle Philharmonic in April 2008. After retiring he spent the last eight years of his life living with his family in Dayton, Ohio, where he died at age 91.