One of 20th century Portugal's most prominent composers, Fernando Lopes-Graça drew on Portuguese musical folklore in many works. He was sometimes known as the Portuguese Bartók, but his music had its own distinctive flavor. In addition to Bartók, Lopes-Graça was influenced by musicologist and composer Francisco de Lacerda and studied Portuguese folk and popular music. He won four composition prizes from the Circulo de Cultura Musical and began to find frequent performance opportunities for his music. In 1969, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich performed Lopes-Graça's Concerto da Camera for cello and orchestra. In 1979, Lopes-Graça composed the substantial Requiem pelas vítimas do fascismo em Portugal ("Requiem for the Victims of Fascism in Portugal"). Lopes-Graça died at his home in Parede, Portugal, on November 27, 1994. By the early 2020s, more than 50 of his compositions had been recorded.