Carlos Chávez (1899-1978) was a Mexican conductor and composer. By taking the lead in introducing national and folk elements to express the spirit of his country, he became the founder of modern Mexican music.

On June 13, 1899, Carlos Chávez was born in Mexico City, where he studied piano under Manuel M. Ponce and Pedro Luis Ogazón. But Chávez's ability as a composer was acquired primarily from direct observation and study of works by the great masters.

From a very early age Chávez felt the need to create a style and personality of his own. His first works, written in 1921, marked him as an innovator and alarmed the musicians who had been educated in the romantic European tradition. José Vasconcelos, minister of education, then commissioned Chávez to compose a ballet entitled El fuego nuevo (The New Fire...