Heitor Villa-Lobos was born on 5 March 1887 in the Laranjeiras neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. A gifted child, he learned to play cello on a viola specially adapted by his father at age six. He also received and took to heart Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, a gift from his aunt that would have a life-long influence, especially on his Bachianas Brasileiras. As he matured, Villa-Lobos learned to incorporate ever more of Brazil's native and national music into his compositions while also growing more confident in his own abilities. He died 17 November 1959.