Cervantes’ musical abilities were recognized at an early age by his parents, the late Honorable Alfonso and First Lady Carmen Cervantes, of St. Louis. A current resident of the Lake of the Ozarks, St. Louis and Naples, Fla., Cervantes was provided a musical education at an early age. By his teenage years, he played five instruments, and his musical prowess led to a professional debut in 1973 playing drums for the legendary Chuck Berry. He performed behind a myriad of major talents in Las Vegas for several years before returning to St. Louis in his mid-30s upon the death of his father, Alphonso.
Alphonso was a real estate mogul in St. Louis and at the Lake of the Ozarks. The elder Cervantes was a friend and business associate to the late Harold Koplar, who founded the Lodge of Four Seasons and who owned property on Horseshoe Bend.
Cervantes holds a Masters Degree in Music Composition from the Walt Disney California Institute of Arts and has a background in classical and jazz piano as well as extensive study in Indian music. A real estate and development executive by day his work often takes him to Florida where he enjoys performing as a pianist and singer in several of the state’s prominent hotels. He also is a real estate agent with The Villages Realty in Sunrise Beach.
- Drums: Toured with Chuck Berry, Summer 1973
- Percussion major, 1973-1975 Webster University
- BFA, Piano, Theory & Composition 1975-1977 Walt Disney’s CalArts
- Studied Tablas in Madras India, Summer 1977 School of Talavadya
- Studied Piano & Music Theory 1978 New England Conservatory
- Studied Piano & Music Theory 1979 University of So. California
- Film Scoring, Stephen Speilburg Film School
- Studied World Music Composition 1979-1981 Walt Disney’s CalArts
- Graduated MFA upon completion May, 1981 Walt Disney’s California Institute of the Arts of Master Thesis, (Quixotic Jestures)
Notable Influences:
Alan Chaplin, Arron Copland, Alan Pasqua, Jack Byard, Bud Powel, Ami Das
Professional Career:
1981 – 1984 House Orchestra Percussionist, Dunes Hotel & Country Club, Las Vegas, NV
Commissioned by Darcy, McMannis – Arrangement, “This Bud’s For You”, Anheuser Busch
1984 Produced the overture for the movie, “The Messenger”
1985 Produced 1st recording “Monet” (Por Mon Ami) Paris, France
1986 First LP, “City Nights”
1987 Conducted Full Orchestra of Original Scores, Kiel Opera House, St Louis, MO
1988 Performed for Prince Albert of Monaco
1989 Performed with Julian Lennon, original work “City Nights” presentation at the Grammy Awards
1990 Performed for various charitable foundations including, March of Dimes, Jerry Lewis Telethon for MS, and the American Cancer Society
1997 Started composing “Queen of Hearts” in memory of Diana, dedicated to William and Harry
2001 Completed composition, “Queen of Hearts”, an overture in three parts.
2010 Completed orchestration of “Queen of Hearts” with Tyler Abbot, artist in residence, Aspen Music Festival & School, Aspen, CO.
2014 Private performance with John Lodge of the Moody Blues at the Dunes Resort, Naples FL.
2015 Currently performing on Friday evenings at the Gallery on Fifth, in Mercato at North Naples from 7-9 pm.
2015 Recorded Queen of Hearts September 18, Abbey Road Studios, London. Directed by Maestro Lee Reynolds.
2016 Released Queen of Hearts performed by the London Symphony Orchestra on CD Baby.
2016 Two published recordings on iTunes and Jango radio: Queen of Hearts, and Monet (Por Mon Ami).
2016 Performed Queen of Hearts with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra June 25th, Lake of the Ozarks. Conducted by Maestro Kirk Trevor.
2017 1st live performance of 101 Dianas with The Southampton Symphony Orchestra November 11th. The one hour Symphonic production showcased the artwork of UK artist Melanie Sanderson.
2021 Recorded Quixotic Jestures with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in the Czech Republic on October 5 with Maestro Michaela Rózsa Růžičková. Please note the 4-part symphonic piece is a tribute to Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. The intro aired on February 6, 2022 on George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM. The broadcast was received enthusiastically by 10 million listeners.