Obituaries : Blas Galindo; Composer Headed Mexican Conservatory

Blas Galindo, 83, one of Mexico’s greatest composers, who was director of the Mexican Conservatory of Music. A Huichole Indian, Galindo began playing the village church organ as a teen-ager. He later studied at the conservatory and with Aaron Copland at the Berkshire Music Center. After teaching at the conservatory, Galindo served as its director from 1947 to 1961. In 1947, he was also made head of the music department at the National Institute of Fine Arts. He received Mexico’s National Arts Prize in 1964. Galindo composed more than 300 symphonies and other works, and was working on a composition at the time of his death. On Monday in Mexico City of respiratory illness.