Ángel Reyes

Who was Ángel Reyes?

Ángel Reyes b.February 14, 1919 d.November 17, 1988 Originally from Cuba, violinist.

Son of Angel Reyes Camejo, conductor of the Thirteenth Sound Group of Havana, music director of the Cuban Military Police Band and composer of Cuban traditional instrumental and vocal works. Camejo recorded Julian Carrillo's 'Preludio a Colón' (Prelude to Christopher Columbus) on the Columbia Records record label. Angel Reyes, Premier Prix graduate from the Paris Conservatory at age sixteen. Prize-winner of the Ysaye International Violin Competition in Brussels.

Concert soloist appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and Latin America. Professor of Music at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. He performed with the Northwestern Piano Trio (formed in 1959) with pianist Gui Mombaerts and cellist Dudley Powers. Married to Jill Bailiff, former harpist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Professor of harp at Northwestern University and Eastern Michigan University.

At one time he owned the famous Lipinski Stradivarius violin, on which he played Glazunov's Violin Concerto in November 1942 with the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Massimo Freccia, as well as with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. He also owned a violin by Carlo Bergonzi, known as the "Kreisler Bergonzi”, previously owned by Fritz Kreisler and later by Itzhak Perlman.