Zenaida Manfugás

Zenaida Elvira González Manfugás (February 22, 1922 - May 2, 2012) was a Cuban-born American-naturalized pianist, considered to be one of the best Cuban pianists in history.

Biography Manfugás was born on February 22, 1922 in Guantánamo, Cuba. where she was a student of Professor Tomas Andrade de Silva. She performed "concerts and premieres" in Spain, where she performed Dos Danzas (song composed by Harold Gramatges) in 1953. She then moved to Paris where she studied under the tutelage of Walter Gieseking. In addition, she was professor at the "Alejandro García Caturla" Conservatory in Marianao

Manfugás conducted diverses tours in Europe (in places like Belgium and Russia ) and Asia (in countries like China and Japan

She had cancer and suffered from several health complications. Her remains were cremated on Sunday May 13.

Personal life She was settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1974. When she became a U.S. citizen, she adopted her mother's maiden name in her honor, since her mother had taught her how to play the piano. In 1955, she gave birth to a son in Spain, Andrés Montes, who was one of the most known and respected sports journalists of both the radio and television in that country and who died in 2009 at age 53.

Curiosities The musician Gonzalo Roig regarded that Zenaida Manfugás "was the best interpreter of Cuban music, and one of the best pianists" of Cuba, and Lecuona "regarded her as the best interpreter of his music". She was a great reader and she asked books from the library every month. She never recorded a studio album. The recordings that exist were from live performances. Several compilation albums interpreting the works of Cuban composers were released. "Two volumes were entitled" Por siempre Lecuona (Lecuona Forever) (1999), compilations from multiple live performances. Those volumes are formed by the most popular works of Lecuona. In 1964, Manfugás participated in the documentary Nosotros la música, directed by Rogelio París. At the time of her death, she lived in a modest apartment for the elderly and, like many other masters of classical music, died in poverty.