The development of classical music has been slow in Bolivia. Several important musical institutions were founded in the early part of the 20th century, such as the national conservatory (1908). The national symphony was established in 1940 under the direction of José María Velasco (1896-1989), the most important composer of his generation. He led the nationalist movement (with Romantic tendencies) in Bolivia; many of his symphonic poems, such as Cuento brujo and Los Khusillos, are based on indigenous subjects. Other nationalist composers are Antonio González Bravo (1885-1961), Teófilo Vargas Candia (1886-1961), Eduardo Caba (1890-1953) and Humberto Viscarra Monje (1898-1969). While director of the National Conservatory, Bravo introduced the Dalcroze method into Bolivian schools. The composer of numerous vocal compositions, Vargas is also the author of an important three volume work, Aires nacionales de Bolivia (1940). Like Velasco, Caba studied in Buenos Aires. His music reveals an indigenous influence. Viscarra Monje’s music is considered to be somewhat academic.
Younger generations of composers in Bolivia have experimented with more advanced techniques. Two main tendencies are evident: a more modern approach to nationalism and avant garde procedures. The former is represented by Gustavo Navarre (1931-2006); the latter by Atiliano Auza León (1928-).
Writing in “La Razón,” columnist Carmen Beatriz Ruiz says that in recent years efforts to interest more people in classical music have been succeeding. She mentions, for example, an orchestra in El Alto, a suburb of La Paz, that has a growing contingent of young members, and a Baroque music festival in the eastern part of the country. Two years ago, pianist Ana María Vera founded Bolivia Clásica, which is an organization that was “created to draw Bolivia into the international cultural circuit and enhance the global landscape.” The organization sponsored a festival that year that included recitals and chamber music concerts by distinguished international soloists.