(by Leonidas D'Santiago)

Caracas, August 3, 1924 

Musical studies 
 
His first musical studies were taken from his father Avelino Sandoval. In 1930, he joins the Music and Declamation School carrying out studies there with Eduardo Plaza, Vicente Emilio Sojo, José Lorenzo Llamozas, Cesar Guzmán and Juan Bautista Plaza. He graduates as Maestro Composer with his Venezuela Symphony. He also carried out studies of violin's technique and interpretation improvement with Ricardo Odnoposoff up to 1949. Between 1936 and 1947, he studies arrangements, instrumentation and bands' conducting with Pedro Elías Gutiérrez. 
During these same years (1936-1947) he was clarinetist and eventual conductor of the "Caracas' Martial Band". In 1937, works as a violin performer with the National Broadcasting Orchestra and in 1938, with the Radio Caracas Broadcasting Orchestra, and as from this same year, works with the Venezuela Symphonic Orchestra. In 1951 is Director of the State Music School of the Táchira State, where he teaches harmony, violin and composition. He also conducts the Liceo Simón Bolivar School Choir. In 1958, in Maracaibo, Zulia State, he directs the State Music School, current State's Conservatory of Music 'José Luis Paz', once again teaching violin, harmony and composition. Is a founding member of the Maracaibo Symphonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of the University of the Zulia State, as well as conducting the University's Choir. In 1964, he returns to San Cristóbal to direct Táchira State's Music School and this institution's Choir, apart from continuing to develop his pedagogic career and his activity as a violin performer with the founding of the Sandoval Strings Quartet. In 1971, takes charge as deputy director of the 'José Ángel Lamas' Music School in Caracas up to year 1976, when he becomes the Director of the Music School Juan Manuel Olivares up to 1978, year of his retirement. He was a usual invited conductor to the Venezuela Symphonic Orchestra and to the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Awards  
- Official Instrumental Music Award 1954, for his Strings Quartet N° 2 
- Honorary mention from the Vicente Emilio Sojo Award 1955, with San Cristóbal,
  Symphonic Poem for four (4) voices and orchestra  
- Vicente Emilio Sojo Award years 1956, 1957, 1958 for his Rhapsody, Caracas and The Fugue of the Spirits works 
- National Music Award 1960 for his short works Fog's Region and First Prize with
  Prelude and Fugue 
- National Music Award 1963 Honor Mention for his Quartet N° 3 
- National Music Award 1964 for Caracas Cuatricentenaria (Caracas' Four-Hundred Years)  
- Caracas Municipal Music Award 1972 with Los Andes (The Andes)
- Honorary mention from the Caracas Municipal Music Award in the years 1977 and 1978, with Salto de la llovizna y El Campanario  (Drizzle's Fall and The bell tower), respectively 
- Caracas Municipal Music Award 1992 with  his Requiem N° 2 
 
Works: 
 
For orchestra
- Ave Maria for soprano soloist, four (4) voices and Strings Orchestra, 1951 
- Caracas Concert for clarinet, 1957 
- Caracas Cuatricentenaria (Caracas' Four-Hundred Years) 1966 
- Exaltación a un Héroe (Exaltation to a Hero) for violin and orchestra, 1982 
- La fuga de los espíritus (The Fugue of the Spirits) 1958 
- Himno a la Universidad del Zulia (Hymn for the University of Zulia) for a four (4)
  voices choir and orchestra, 1960 
- Himno de la Sociedad Cruz del Ávila (Hymn to the Cruz of Ávila Society) for four (4)
  voices and orchestra, 1942 
- Himno to the Santa Maria Goretti School (Hymn for the Santa Maria Goretti School) for four (4) voices choir and orchestra, 1965 
- Himno del Liceo Simón Bolívar (Hymn to the Simón Bolivar School) for a four (4)
  voices choir and orchestra, 1953 
- Los Andes (The Andes) for tenor soloist, four (4) voices choir and orchestra, 1972 
- Rapsodia para piano y orquesta (Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra) 1956 
- Región de la niebla (Fog's Region) for boy soprano solo, contralto solo, a four (4)
  voices choir and orchestra, 1958 
- Réquiem N°1 (Requiem N° 1) for baritone and orchestra, 1966 
- Réquiem N°2 (Requiem N° 2) for a three (3) male voices choir, organ and orchestra, 1991 
- Salto de la llovizna (Drizzle's Fall) 1977
- San Cristobal (Saint Christopher) for four (4) voices and orchestra, 1954 
- Sinfonía Venezuela (Venezuela Symphony) 1950 
- Tres sonatas (Three Sonatas) 1950 
 
Chamber Music 
- Ave Maria for tenor soloist, four (4) voices choir and organ, 1944 
- Cuarteto N° 1 (Quartet N° 1) 1954 
- Cuarteto N° 2 (Quartet N° 2) 1954   
- Cuarteto N° 3 (Quartet N° 3) 1963  
- El campanario (The bell tower) for Strings Orchestra, 1978 
- Misa (Mass) for tenor soloist, four (4) voices choir, organ and harp, 1966  

Chorus Works 
- Canción de Cumpleaños (Birthday Song) 1983 
- Canción a Bello ( A song to Bello) 1957 
- Despedida (Farewell) 1958 
- El juego (The Game) 1969 
- El molinero (The Miller) for soprano solo and choir, 1954 
- El trompo (The spinning top) 1954 
- Himno a los Nibe (Hymn to the Nibe) 1991 
- Himno de la Escuela Gabriela Mistral (Gabriela Mistral School's Hymn) 1963 
- Himno del Grupo Escolar Carlos Rangel Lamus (Hymn for the School Group 'Carlos
  Rangel Lamus') San Cristóbal, 1957 
- Himno del Instituto Félix Román Duque (Hymn for the Félix Román Duque Education
  Institute), Zea, Mérida State, 1956 
- Himno de los Juegos Interinstitutos (Hymn for the Inter-institutional Games) 1953 
- La eternidad besábase en su boca (Eternity was kissing itself in her mouth) 1967 
- La huella perdida (The Lost Trace) 1954 
- Los pescadores (The Fishermen) 1969 
   
Voice and instrument 
- Alfabeto Castellano (Castilian Alphabet) for voice and piano, 1950
- Dulce mujer la del cabello ardiendo (That Sweet Hair Afire Woman) for soprano
  and piano, 1942  
 
Soloist works (all of them for piano)
- Aída, 1984 
- Aidita, 1984 
- Ana Beatríz, 1967 
- Ana Graciela, 1986 
- Ana Ilva, 1984 
- Andrés Sidfredo, 1986 
- Ciudad Guayana (Guayana City) 1982 
- Cuatro Sonatas (Four Sonatas) 1951 
- Esta tarde Luis Haracio (Today at Afternoon, Luis Horacio) 1987
- Estrellita  (Starlet) 1956 
- Godsvinda, 1984 
- Jean, 1986 
- Mariana, 1985 
- Maritza, 1984 
- Nueve fugas (Nine Fugues), 1949 
- Orlando Avelino, 1986 
- Tres Suites Clásicas (Three Classic Suites) 1952 
 
 Music for Bands 
- Oración Patriótica (Patriotic Pray) for a four (4) voices choir and band, 1954 
- Preludio y Fuga (Prelude and Fugue) 1961