Andrés Archila (December 24, 1913 – March 2, 2002) was a Guatemalan international violinist and orchestra conductor. He was the principal founder and conductor of the Guatemalan National Symphony Orchestra from 1944 to 1964, founder of the Quarteto Guatemala, Associate Concertmaster of Washington, D.C.'s National Symphony Orchestra from 1959 to 1984, and soloist and conductor with major orchestras of the Americas during his lifetime. Maestro Archila was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on December 24, 1913, and he died in Washington, D.C., on March 2, 2002, and is interred in his country Guatemala.
Early life
Archila was born from a musical family. His father, principally a restaurateur, played the upright bass and marimba. His brother, Juan, played the cello for the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, and his youngest brother, Simeon, switched between principal viola and principal second violin for the Guatemalan National Symphony Orchestra. His Sephardic mother, Rosario, and sister, Jesus, were restaurateurs.
Maestro Archila began musical studies in piano and violin at the age of four. At seven, he gave his first violin concert with the Guatemalan military band/orchestra (the only musical ensemble during the dictatorships of that time). During his childhood and adolescence, Andrés studied violin with the most prominent musicians in Guatemala, many of whom were Italian or German expatriates from the late 1800s, and assumed principal positions in the military band/orchestra and conservatory. Since the age of ten he performed and earned a sustainable living playing at church functions, weddings, assembling chamber players for private functions, and even assembling orchestra players for "pit" background music to silent movies at the "Teatro Lux". He would eventually become a regular first violin with the military orchestra. One time he was nearly wounded while playing at an outdoor concert during a failed coup d'état. The bullet lodged into the seat of his chair.
In an effort to expand Andrés’ musicianship, the father moved the family to Rome, Italy, in 1931. The father, Andres and Juan entertained the ship's crew and passengers while crossing the Atlantic. In Rome, Maestro Archila studied at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. His studies focused on piano, violin, music theory, composition and orchestration. With the rise of fascism and increasing rumblings of war in Europe, the family crossed the Atlantic back to Guatemala in 1937.
Guatemala After Italy
Upon their return to Guatemala they encountered yet another dictatorship, all but devoid of an appreciation for the arts. Andres continued playing with the military band/orchestra and continued with private work as soloist, assembling quartets for weddings, social and religious functions, and started conducting orchestral groups in Central and South America. Musical and artistic oppression and dictatorship continued in Guatemala, to the point that Maestro Archila would be jailed on nights prior to performances that were demanded for the dictator's events.
Revolucion del '44
With the overthrow of the Ubico dictatorship in 1944, and the ensuing economic and social reforms of the first democratically elected president of Guatemala, Dr. Juan Jose Arevalo, Andrés Archila was made the director of the Guatemalan National Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure, which would last until 1964, he assembled the best classical players from Guatemala and Central America.
He was both a conductor and frequent soloist. As soloist, his virtuosity was displayed before sold-out concerts performing the classic violin concertos of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Lalo. Maestro Franz Ippich, who fled to Guatemala escaping the Nazis in Vienna, wrote a violin concerto for him encapsulating Wagnerian and Guatemalan Son riffs that Andres interpreted with utmost grace, passion and humor. Maestro Jorje Sarmientos, who would take over the role of conductor after Andres’ departure, also wrote a modern dodecaphonic violin concerto for him. In addition, Andres would strive to introduce new modern pieces to the standard repertoire like, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Barber, Berg and Dvorak violin concertos. Maestro Archila played on a French Villaume violin built in 1827.