Musical Director of the Lalín City Council

At that time, the Lalín Conservatory operated as a branch of the Conservatory of A Coruña and therefore lacked administrative independence and the ability to hire qualified teachers. During his early years in Lalín, Fernando Vázquez Arias managed to establish an independent, autonomous professional conservatory, with the local council taking ownership, allowing for the hiring of specialized teachers, including string and percussion instructors, making them pioneers among Galician conservatories.

On May 17, 1991, after years of requesting suitable facilities for the conservatory and musical groups from local and regional political leaders, the Lalín Conservatory building and the Lalín Auditorium were inaugurated, where he premiered his Cantata do Deza, composed for the occasion and performed by the Camerata Orchestra of Portoalongside the choirs of Lalín and Ars Musicae of Pontevedra, under his direction. The idea for the work arose from a chance meeting between journalist Armando Vázquez Crespo, based in Madrid, and the composer during one of their train trips from Lalín to Madrid.

Written for choir and string orchestra, flute, and piano, the Cantata do Deza consists of 6 movements inspired by iconic sites in the Deza region. The movements are: Deza, Trasdeza, Agolada, Carbia, Camba, and Dozón.

The inauguration of the Lalín Auditorium, the conservatory, and the premiere of the Cantata do Deza were events attended by the highest representatives of Galician culture and politics, resulting in a great success with both the public and the specialized press. This event brought Fernando Vázquez Arias to the attention of the cultural community throughout Galicia, once again demonstrating his ability to coordinate and carry out large-scale projects.

Fernando Vázquez Arias always believed that the foundation for developing his musical projects was the conservatory as a center of education. For this reason, he dedicated himself to recruiting the best available teachers for the LalínConservatory, ensuring their active participation in existing ensembles such as the band and choir, and, most importantly, establishing the conservatory’s orchestra, which he launched in 1990. At that time, there was only one semi-professional orchestra in Galicia, the Municipal Orchestra of A Coruña, directed by Rogelio Groba, and apart from the conservatory in that city, orchestral practice was not taught in other institutions in the region, mainly due to the lack of string teachers.

It was in this context that his sister, Rosa Vázquez Arias, a violin teacher, played a key role in starting violin lessons in Lalín and managing sectional rehearsals for the newly formed student orchestra.

Rosa Vázquez Arias

Under his direction and with his constant efforts, he ensured that the conservatory, the music band, the choir, and the orchestra were provided with all the necessary instruments and equipment to conduct classes. In addition, artistically, these ensembles gained significant prestige, performing successful concerts throughout Galicia and participating in recordings and radio and television programs, with the newly founded CRTVG broadcasting company.