Ignacio Cervantes was a Cuban musician who played an important role in Latin American piano music. He grew up in a middle-class family with Spanish roots and first learned piano from his father. His talent showed early, leading him to study with a respected teacher, Juan Miguel Joval. By age six, he had earned praise from the American pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and he composed his first piece, La solitaria, at nine years old. His daughter later renamed this piece Soledad. In 1859, Cervantes began studying with Nicolás Ruiz Espadero, another Cuban musician. In 1865, he moved to France to attend the Paris Conservatoire, where he learned from teachers including Marmontel and Alkan. He won top prizes in piano playing and harmony and performed solo concerts in Paris and Madrid. Well-known pianists like Liszt and Paderewski admired his skill, calling him a “colossus of the piano.” Cervantes returned to Havana in 1870 and continued as a concert soloist, playing works by famous composers such as Beethoven and Chopin. He supported Cuban independence movements, which led to him going into exile twice. He toured, especially in the United States and Mexico, and donated the money he earned to the cause. He also worked as an opera and zarzuela conductor and a teacher with many successful students. Though he had difficulty establishing a music school, his piano pieces called Danzas cubanas remain his most famous compositions.