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Venezuelan composer, guitarist, and pianist, revered as one of South America's most significant composers for the classical guitar.Born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, Lauro studied piano and composition at the Academia de Música y Declamación in Caracas under Vicente Emilio Sojo. Initially focused on piano and composition, he later dedicated himself primarily to the guitar, becoming a virtuoso performer. His compositions masterfully blended classical forms with Venezuelan folk rhythms like waltzes (valses), merengues, and joropos. He was a founding member of the Raúl Borges Guitar Trio. Lauro's career was interrupted by political imprisonment from 1951 to 1952. International recognition for his guitar works soared in the 1970s and 1980s, largely due to advocacy by guitarist John Williams. He received Venezuela's National Music Prize in 1977 and served as President of the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. He died in Caracas.

• Lauro was the son of Italian immigrants; his father, a barber and musician, died when Antonio was still a child.
• His initial musical passion was the piano, and he only seriously took up the guitar in his late teens after hearing Agustín Barrios perform.
• He was imprisoned for two years (1951-1952) during the military dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez due to his political activities opposing the regime, halting his performing career.
• Despite his immense talent and local fame, Lauro's guitar compositions remained relatively unknown internationally until the 1970s when guitarist John Williams began championing them, recording albums dedicated solely to his work.
• His iconic "Valses Venezolanos" (Venezuelan Waltzes), particularly "Natalia" and "Andreína", are among the most beloved pieces in the classical guitar repertoire worldwide.
• He suffered from heart problems in his later years, which ultimately led to his death in 1986.