Portrait of Heitor Villa-Lobos.

The importance of Heitor Villa-Lobos (conductor) to Brazilian music is so notorious that his birthday was chosen to celebrate the Classical Music National Day in Brazil. Villa-Lobos was the music's main exponent during Modernism in the country, thanks to his explorations with popular and indigenous sounds and the classical repertoire. On the day of his death, even the New York Times published an Op-Ed article honoring his career.