His love for R&B, Rock and Popular music during his high school years led him to meeting schoolmates Kenny Kirkland - formerly the pianist with Wynton Marsalis, Sting, and The Tonight Show Band - and Skip Breves - founder of the Soul/Rock review band The Stingers and the owner of a successful club date booking office.  The trio formed a cover band and became best friends.
 
After receiving his Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in trumpet from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, Angel continued his studies there and went on to receive his Master of Music in music education. While at the conservatory, he was given the opportunity to substitute for his teacher, jazz trumpeter Jimmy Owens, with the Collective Black Artists Ensemble. That event, a milestone in Angel's career, was a concert honoring Afro-Cuban legend Machito at NYC's Town Hall. Upon hearing Angel play, Machito offered him a position in his band.

In the early 1980s Angel played with Mille, Jocelyn y Los Vecinos, a popular band specializing in Merengue. From 1981 to1988, Angel toured internationally with Ray Barretto. This association brought Angel prominence as an arranger, writing on commercially successful and Grammy® nominated albums such as Irresistible, Aqui Se Puede and Todo Se Va' Poder. 

Angel's next career step was as Musical Director for David Byrne from 1989 to1992. He participated as trumpeter, arranger and composer on Byrne's albums Rei Momo and Uh-oh (Sire/Warner Bros.).  During this time, he also worked on recordings by Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Talking Heads and British Songstress Kirsty MacColl. In 1990, Angel achieved Grammy® success with the award-winning Celia Cruz/Ray Barretto album, Ritmo En El Corazón, in which he contributed half the arrangements and played trumpet.

In 1993, Angel joined Marc Anthony's Salsa band, and officially became Musical Director in 1995.  He arranged and performed on Anthony's Grammy® nominated Todo A Su Tiempo and produced Marc Anthony's "Asi Como Hoy" single for the 1996 Olympics.

Angel arranged and played trumpet and guitar on the 2001
Jennifer Lopez album, J. Lo (Sony). He has worked with international artists Las Ketchups (Spain), Alberto Shiroma (Japan) and Grupo Niche (Latin America).

Angel F.'s recent projects include Spanish Harlem Orchestra's 2005 Grammy® award-winning CD Across 110th St. Featuring Ruben Blades, in which he arranged two songs, including an original composition performed and written by Ruben Blades. 

In May 2006, Angel released his first CD as a leader, La Nueva Combinación.  The CD, which features stellar soneros Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepulveda, Tito Allen, Junior Gonzalez, George Lamond, Alexa Rojas and Luis Figueroa Roig, was released to glowing critical reviews. 

In late 2006 8 y Mas!, the group founded by Angel, Ricky Gonzalez, Marc Quiñones and Bobby Allende, released its first CD, Juega Billar. 

Also in May 2006, Angel helped organize and directed the Marc Anthony band for an ALMA Awards filming, in which Brian McNight, Laura Pausini, Tito Nieves and Victor Manuelle sang Marc's songs.  The show aired on ABC TV.

At the beginning of 2007, Angel was thrilled to accept the job of Music Director for Jennifer Lopez, with whom he appeared on American Idol (season six), The David Letterman Show and Good Morning America.  Also with Jennifer, Angel appears on a six-song video that airs on Walmart.com's Soundcheck.

In July, 2007 Jennifer's band performed on a show for the unveiling of the Seven New Wonders of the World held in Lisbon, Portugal.  Angel plays trumpet on and arranged the horn section for Jennifer's hot new track, "Hold it, Don't Drop it."
 
Some of Fernández's Career Accomplishments to Date
 The First CD
(as leader)

· Tránsito, La Nueva Combinación 

 (Sony/BMG/SRS/Premium 120555), Released 2006

Editor's Pick:
Ok, check out the group: Ricky Gonzalez, Bobby Allende, Marc Quiñones, Carlos Henriquez, Sammy Garcia, Wichi Camacho, Pupi Santiago, Johnny Rivera, Luisito Quintero, Mario Rivera and plenty more. What's it add up too? One of the best hard salsa discs to show up in a long time. Now check out the singers: Tito Allen, Junior Gonzalez, George Lamond, and Johnny Rivera, and they put some serious swing on the recording. This stuff sounds modern but classic - they do some Hector Lavoe/Willie Colón and Celia Cruz/Pacheco material - and it's set up perfectly for DJs and dance floors. The tempos are up, everything's in tune, the recording's clear and bright and full. The band does some more electric stuff; it's a momentary delay in the action, and the action is just hard, real salsa. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous, 2006-05-20)

 Film credits (as arranger, composer, performer or producer)

• Between the Teeth
• Blue in the Face
• Boricua's Bond
• My Blue Heaven

Television performances

• American Idol (2007) - with Jennifer Lopez
• The David Letterman Show) - with J. Lopez
• Good Morning America- with J. Lopez
• CBS Primetime Concert Special: Marc Anthony from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
• The Early Show
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show
• The Grammy® Awards
• HBO Live Concert Special: Marc Anthony - The Concert from Madison Square Garden
• The Latin Grammy® Awards
• MAD TV
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• Saturday Night Live
• The Today Show
• The Tonight Show

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For more credits, see discographies.