Cesar Guerra-Peixe was born in Petrópolis (Rio de Janeiro state) in March 18 of 1914. At age of 7 already played the guitar, violin and piano, by ear. He started his studies of violin with the teacher Gao Omacht, in the Saint Cecille Conservatory, in Petrópolis, in the year of 1925. In this  establishment he studied piano and Musical Theory.

In 1934 settled in Rio de Janeiro city and played in little orchestras in bars, cafés and sometimes in symphonic orchestras. In 1939 Guerra Peixe started his Harmony studies with the teacher Newton Padua, and entered in the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música (Brazilian Conservatory of Music) in 1943, where he made courses about Composition and dodecafonic technique with the composer H. J. Koellreutter.

About 1949, after a travell to Recife, where he watched Brazilian dances with folk music, who left him so impressed, decided left the dodecafonism definitively, comming back to the Musical Nationalism. 

His Symphony N.1  (1946) was played by the orchestra of the BBC of London. Later, his Nonet was conducted by Hermann Scherchen, who invited him to live in Europe. But Guerra Peixe prefered to work in Brazil, in a broadcast in Recife, as composer, arranger and studying Folk Music. In 1962 he went to Rio de Janeiro again, becoming violinist on National Symphonic Orchestra and teaching composition in the Seminary of Music Pro-Arte. Guerra Peixe also worked was professor in the Federal University of Minas Gerais and at Music School Villa-Lobos. He died in Rio de Janeiro, November 26 of 1993.

Guerra Peixe is author of many works, two symphonies,   two symphonic suites, numerous scores of chamber music (Noneto, Trio 1945, Quarteto 1947), scores for guitar (Ponteio, Acalanto and Choro), flute, violin, bassoon, piano, etc.

Bibliography:

Grande Enciclopédia Larousse Cultural

Vasco Mariz - Figuras da Música Brasileira Contemporânea
       Universidade de brasília, 1970, segunda edição.