José María Velasco Maidana

José María Velasco Maidana ( born July 4, 1900 ( there are also 1896, 1899 and 1901 indicated) in Sucre, Bolivia, † December 4, 1989 in New York, NY) was a Bolivian composer and director.

Velasco Maidana studied in Sucre and Buenos Aires, and then worked as a teacher of Music History at the Conservatory of La Paz, where he founded in 1939 the first symphony orchestra and the first ballet company in Bolivia. He also worked as a conductor in Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. Since 1950, he lived as a freelance composer in Houston, Texas.

He composed an opera and a ballet, three symphonic poems and other orchestral works, chamber music and songs.

In addition, Velasco Maidana is one of the pioneers of the Bolivian film of the silent era: In 1925, he directed the film La Profecia del lago, Wara - Wara 1929.