(b. 21 December 1938, Havana).

Cuban composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and electroacoustic works that have been performed throughout the Americas and elsewhere.

Prof. Valera studied music at the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán in Havana and later had postgraduate studies in composition with Andrzej Dobrowolski and Witold Rudziński at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He earned his degree in education from the Escuela Normal para Maestros in Havana and his PhD in pedagogy from the Universidad de La Habana.

Among his honours are Primer Premio in a competition of the Ministerio de Cultura in Cuba (1985, for Concierto por la Paz), the Premio Nacional from the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba in Havana (1989, for his œuvre) and the Premio Nacional de Música from the government of Cuba (2006), as well as the Karol Szymanowski Medal of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland, the Médaille de Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe, the Medalla Alejo Carpentier, the Medalla Félix Varela, the Medalla José María Heredia from the province of Santiago in Cuba, the Premio Nacional por la Cultura of the Consejo Nacional de Cuba, and recognition from the Ministerio de Educación Superior in Havana for his contribution to education in Cuba.

He is also active in other positions. He has held different titles on the executive board of directors of the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, including a term as president of its music section from 1990–92.

He has taught at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana.

In addition to the works listed below, he has composed music for numerous ballets, cartoons and films.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Devenir, 1969

Concierto por la Paz, saxophone, orchestra, 1985

Extraplan, 1990

Yugo y Estrella, 1995

Concierto de Cojímar, guitar, orchestra, 1998

Non divisi, string orchestra, 1999

CHAMBER MUSIC:

String Quartet, 1967

Tres Impertinencias, ensemble, 1971

Tierra de sol, cielo y tierra, ensemble, 1993

Glosas del tiempo recobrado, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1994

CHORAL:

Iré a Santiago, mixed chorus, 1969

Cuatro Poemas de Nicolás Guillén (text by Nicolás Guillén), soprano, mixed chorus, orchestra, 2001

VOCAL:

Conjuro, soprano, orchestra, 1968

PIANO:

Siete Piezas, 1962

Seis Mínimas, 1965

Toccata, 1965

Doce Estudios Caribeños, 2002

Van Gogh's Blues Ear, 2002

Cuento Sonoro, 2004

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Ajiaco, fixed media, 1990

Palmas, fixed media, 1992

Período espacial, fixed media, 1993

Loa del camino, fixed media, 1999

Las Sombras no Abandonan, fixed media, 2000