In Philippine music, Buenaventura became a byword. He was known not only as a fine composer, but also a competent conductor and a dedicated educator. He came from a family in Baliuag, Bulacan, where he was born on May 4, 1904 that is known as a family of fine musicians. Immediately after his graduation with a Teacher’s Diploma in Music, major in Science and Composition in 1929 and earning his post graduate diploma in Composition with German Prof. Jeno Von Tackacs as his mentor for 3 years, Col. Buenaventura joined the U.P Conservatory as an assistant instructor.

When his mentor Nicanor Abelardo died in 1934, he was designated by Dr. Francisco Santiago, the dean of the conservatory to take over Abelardo’s class. Some of the outstanding work that he wrote after undertaking field research are the following Minuet (1937), which borrowed largely from Igorot tunes for its thematic thrust, the popular Pandanggo sa Ilaw (1936), “Echoes from the Philippines,” Varations and Fugere, Greetings and many others. Col. Buenaventura passed away on January 25, 1996, but his works are continuously recognized all over the country for enriching Philippine music.