Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt

Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt (August 26, 1925 – January 3, 2010) was a Chilean composer.
Becerra-Schmidt was born in Temuco, studied in Santiago, and lived in Germany since 1973, where he taught at the University of Oldenburg beginning in 1974. Becerra was a prolific Chilean composer. His catalogue includes hundreds of compositions that goes from the most traditional to the most avant-garde, from popular songs to large scale cantatas, symphonies and oratorios.
Highlights among his output are the cantatas "La Araucana" and "Lord Cochrane de Chile", the "Macchu Picchu" oratorio on texts by Neruda, the Concerto for Flute and Strings, and a most recent Harp Concerto from 2006. Important in his catalogue are also the electroacoustic works.
Becerra was also an important teacher. Some of his pupils are among the most important composers of Chile, these include Luis Advis, Sergio Ortega, Fernando García and Cirilo Vila.
Becerra-Schmidt died on January 3, 2010, at his home in Oldenburg.