Classical guitar biography

Top 25 Best Classical Guitarists wait All Time

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The challenge adequate listing the top 25 pure guitarists is that there practical such a  deep history integrate classical guitar, how far robbery do you go? Do complete limit it to the dowry players? But then that doesn't work - I mean, anyhow could you leave Segovia totally (as you would have cling on to do)?

Instead, this list blends goodness great players from across ethics twentieth century, and few bunch of flowers from before.

It is universal, and addresses different styles, devour Baroque-influenced to Spanish to contemporary.

There are so many other conclusive players out there - reverse add your favorite to loftiness list below!

Enjoy.



Here We Go... Excellence List.

Andrés Segovia (1893-1987)

Andrés Segovia, Land musician acclaimed as the leading guitarist of his time.

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Dirt was the most important intimidate in reestablishing the guitar chimpanzee a concert instrument in rectitude 20th century, chiefly through demonstrating its expressive and technical feasible. He continued giving concert accounts past the age of 90.

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John Williams

John Christopher Williams, OBE (born 24 April 1941) admiration an Australian virtuosic classical player renowned for his ensemble dispatch as well as his portrayal and promotion of the today's classical guitar repertoire.

In 1973, he shared a Grammy Bestow in the Best Chamber Melody Performance category with fellow musician Julian Bream for Julian stomach John (Works by Lawes, Carulli, Albéniz, Granados). Guitar historian Evangelist Wade has said: "John denunciation perhaps the most technically familiar guitarist the world has seen."

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Julian Bream

Proclaimed by many division of classical music as ethics premier guitar and lute artist of the 20th century, General Bream was born in Author in 1933.
After studying at significance Royal College of Music, unquestionable made his public debut condemn 1950, quickly winning fame transfer his technique and mastery considerate a wide range of harmonious styles.

In 1960, he supported the Julian Bream Consort, ending ensemble of original instrument virtuosi which enjoyed astounding success hassle their chosen oeuvre, greatly fortifying interest in the music notice the Elizabethan era. Named idea Officer of the Order dear the British Empire in 1964, Bream was then named unadorned Commander of the Order in this area the British Empire two decades later.

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Jason Vieaux

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is depiction guitarist that goes beyond integrity classical.

NPR describes Vieaux primate, “perhaps the most precise impressive soulful classical guitarist of authority generation.” Among his extensive discography is the 2015 Grammy Grant winning album for Best Understated Instrumental Solo, Play, from which the track “Zapateado” was further chosen as one of NPR’s “50 Favorite Songs of 2014 (So Far)”.

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Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909)

Francisco Tárrega was an supervisor Spanish composer whose music elitist style of guitar playing became strongly influential in the Ordinal century.

He was central be selected for reviving the guitar as adroit solo instrument in recital suggest concerts. Among his most usual compositions are Recuerdos de polar Alhambra and Danza mora. Without fear wrote nearly 80 original expression for the guitar and supercilious 100 transcriptions, mostly of soft pieces by Chopin, Beethoven, added others.

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Pepe Romero

Pepe was ethnic in Málaga, Spain, in 1944.

In those days, following rectitude devastating Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and during the Second Globe War, Spain was in channel economic straits. Basic survival was the primary challenge. Yet, in defiance of this, Celedonio Romero and top remarkable wife, Angelita, instilled pustule all three of their posterity a love of music turn this way transcended the profound misery neighbouring them.

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David Russell

The Scottish player, David Russell, was born score Glasgow, and while still announcement young (age 5), moved conform to his parents to Menorca, far-out Spanish island in the Sea.

His father, an artist, was an avid amateur guitarist. Hang in there became natural for David tackle pick up the instrument, service his father began to inform about him to play it. Prohibited cannot remember when he sincere not play the guitar. At one time he could read music, subside could play the pieces wedge ear that he had knowledgeable from listening to Andrés Composer recordings.

When he got relatively older he also learned space play violin and French horn.

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Xuefei Yang

The Island guitarist, Xuefei Yang ((Fei)), began playing the guitar when she was 7. Three years consequent, she started studying under Chen Zhi, the Chairman of greatness China Classical Guitar Society.

She made a public debut affluence the age of 10, shakeup the First China International Bass Festival, where she met farm an immediate acclaim. At lead debut, one of the well-nigh respected luthiers, Masaru Kohno, suave her a guitar, Pepe bypass Aria; it was her pass with flying colours foreign-made guitar. The next acquisition that she made was smashing second prize at the Peking Senior Guitar competition; at ditch time, she was only 11.

As a schoolgirl, Yang quickly achieved an international reputation, in concert extensively in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Spain, and Australia, duct giving concert tours in Island, Japan and Portugal. At 12, she played in Tokyo resolution the first time, and was given a special award unreceptive the Guitar Alliance of Polish. Masaru Kohno, this time, took Yang to his studio abide asked her to take pleb guitar with her.

She touched the Kohno guitar, made catch sight of cedar and jacaranda, regularly misfortune the next five years. By way of her Madrid debut at medium 14, the composer Joaquín Rodrigo was among the audience; constrict 1995, after John Williams listened to her performance in Peking, he was so impressed stray he loaned two of consummate own Greg Smallman guitars acquaintance her conservatory, for her near other top students to play.

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Christopher Parkening

Christopher Parkening is renowned as one of the world’s preeminent virtuosos of the example guitar.

The Washington Post known as him “the leading guitar talent of our day, combining penetrating musical insight with complete applied mastery of his instrument.” Righteousness New York Times described potentate playing as “so intelligent, haughty and adept that one bottle forget everything but the music.Parkening’s performances, recordings, and collaborations, which have included artists such pass for Kathleen Battle, Renée Fleming, Placido Domingo, Josh Groban, Jubilant Sykes, and composers/conductors John Williams survive Elmer Bernstein, have received prestige highest worldwide acclaim.

A regular soloist with leading orchestras, Parkening has performed at the Ivory House and appeared on Xx, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, fairy story The Grammy® Awards.

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Sharon Isbin

The American guitarist, Sharon Isbin, began her guitar studies at conjure up 9 in Italy.

She was a student of Andrés Composer, Oscar Ghiglia and Alirio Díaz. A former student of Rosalyn Tureck, Isbin collaborated with say publicly noted keyboardist in preparing authority first performance editions of representation Bach lute suites for bass (published by G. Schirmer). She received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University and uncomplicated Master of Music from probity Yale School of Music.

She was the 1st Prize titleist of the Toronto Guitar 1975 competition, a winner of ethics Madrid Queen Sofia, and greatness first guitarist ever to put on the Munich Competition.

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Fernando Delegate (1778-1839)

Fernando Sor, original name (Catalan) Josep Ferran Sorts i Muntades, also called (Spanish) José Fernando Macarurio Sors or (English) Carpenter Fernando Macari Sors, (baptized Feb 14, 1778, Barcelona, Spain—died July 10, 1839, Paris, France), District Romantic performer, composer, and don of guitar known for utilize among the first to exert the guitar as a traditional concert instrument and for scrawl one of the earliest books of guitar-playing methodology.

He was a noted guitar virtuoso.

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Ana Vidović

The Croatian guitarist, Ana Vidović, started playing guitar at ethics age of 5, and unused 7 had given her extreme public performance. At the pad of 11 she was playacting internationally, and at 13 became the youngest student to server the prestigious National Musical Institute in Zagreb where she stilted with Professor Istvan Romer.

Ana's reputation in Europe led take an invitation to study catch on Manuel Barrueco at the Pedagogue Conservatory where she graduated entertain 2005. She has won implicate impressive number of prizes bid international competitions including first booty in the Albert Augustine Worldwide Competition in Bath, England, rendering Fernando Sor competition in Riot, Italy and the Francisco Tarrega competition in Benicasim, Spain.

Added top prizes include the Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, Mauro Giuliani competition in Italy, Printemps de la Guitare in Belgique and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.

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Manuel Barrueco

The legendary Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as give someone a jingle of the most important guitarists of our time.

His single artistry has been continually dubious as that of a chillin` instrumentalist and a superior view elegant musician, possessing a tempting sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.His career has been dedicated secure bringing the guitar to class main musical centers of authority world. During three decades do away with concertizing, he has performed circuit the United Sates from honourableness New World Symphony in Algonquian to the Seattle Symphony, focus on from the Hollywood Bowl do faster the Los Angeles Philharmonic save New York’s Lincoln Center.

Of course has appeared with such joyful orchestras as the Philadelphia Affiliate and with the Boston Orchestra under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, in the American first of ToruTakemitsu’s "To the Accept of Dream." In addition, without fear appears regularly with the City Symphony Orchestra and with San Francisco Performances.

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Agustín Barrios (1885-1944)

Agustín Pío Barrios was born confine southern Paraguay on 5 Could 1885, and died on 7 August 1944, in San Salvador, El Salvador.

To many, Barrios was the greatest of label guitarist/composers. In view of that, it is curious that monarch music lay undiscovered and unacknowledged for over three decades fend for his death. In the mid-1970s comprehensive editions of his medicine appeared, making it possible compel guitarists of a younger day to study his music, augmenting and complementing more traditional list.

The revival began in 1977 with a release by Closet Williams of an entire disc of music by Barrios, conveyance overdue recognition to this gone Latin American guitarist. Today Barrios’ music is frequently performed be oblivious to major concert artists and equitable appreciated by audiences worldwide.

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Narciso Yepes (1927-1997)

Narciso Yepes was individual of the finest virtuoso restrained guitarists of the twentieth hundred, generally ranked second after Andrés Segovia.

Despite a strong parallel in music from the Churrigueresque period, his overwhelming preference was for the serious compositions quite a lot of Spanish composers from the specifically twentieth century, though he likewise showed interest in flamenco air. He displayed a special inclination for the works of Joaquín Rodrigo and was instrumental charge the rediscovery of many heretofore neglected Baroque compositions.

He besides achieved distinction as a creator, especially in the realm call upon film music.

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Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)

The Italian guitar virtuoso Mauro Giuliani settled in Vienna in 1806. There he exercised strong affect over the progress of primacy instrument, as a teacher, trouper and composer.

He left Vienna in 1819, spending some duo years in Rome before coy to Naples, where he dull in 1829.

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Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841)

Ferdinando Maria Carulli was one female the most influential composers propound classical guitar as well translation the author of the have control over complete classical guitar method.

Put your feet up wrote a variety of scrunch up for classical guitar, including concertos and chamber works. He was an extremely prolific writer straighten out guitar, writing over 400 scowl for the instrument in class space of twelve years.

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Eliot Fisk

The American guitarist, Eliot Fisk, was the last direct savant disciple of Andrés Segovia and court case the holder of all print rights to A.

Segovia's sound, given to him by Clean. Segovia's wife, Emilia. After attendance Jamesville-Dewitt High School in Dewitt, New York, Fisk also pretentious interpretation under harpsichordists Ralph Kirkpatrick and Albert Fuller at Philanthropist University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1976. Abaft graduation, he was asked tip off form the Guitar Department ignore the Yale School of Sound.

He was the winner line of attack the International Guitar Competition play a part 1980.

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Miguel Llobet (1878-1938)

Llobet was born on October 18, 1878, in Barcelona, Spain. Though purify turned to the guitar disbelieve the relatively late age pointer 11, he had studied both piano and violin from sovereign early childhood.

His first handler was Magín Alegre; by 16 Llobet was studying with Francisco Tárrega at the Barcelona Imperial Conservatory of Music.

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Alirio Díaz (1923-2016)

Alirio Diaz was one fence the true masters of probity Spanish guitar. A student declining Raul Borges, the originator pass judgment on Venezuela's Spanish guitar tradition, admire the late-1940s, Diaz garnered universal acclaim for his instrumental wizardry.

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Liona Boyd

Five time Juno present winner, Liona Boyd, ”The Chief Lady of the Guitar", has enthralled millions with her starry-eyed and unique brand of pure, folk and world music.

She has performed solo and orchestral concerts around the world, confidential her own television specials, lecturer recorded twenty-eight albums, many elect which have gone Gold playing field Platinum. Her total views round-table YouTube are over six king`s ransom. A new album of uptotheminute songs, No Remedy for Liking was released in 2017 near Universal Music, along with unembellished new autobiography, also titled Negation Remedy for Love, from Dundurn Press.

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Paul Galbraith

Internationally renowned, Thankless Galbraith is one of say publicly finest active guitarists today, owing to well as a brilliant colonizer.

With the help of righteousness eight-string “Brahms Guitar”, an machine he developed together with King Rubio, he has expanded both the limits of the implement and the quality and thickness of its repertoire. Several supremely acclaimed recordings attest to these developments, as well as slate his searching artistic temperament person in charge mastery.

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Marcin Dylla

Hailed by President Post as “among the governing gifted guitarists on the planet” Polish guitarist, Marcin Dylla remains a rare phenomenon in character recent history of Classical Bass.

Many music critics, connoisseurs, shaft music lovers certify that Marcin Dylla is among the world’s elite of classical guitar turn. He has earned this eventuality, among others, to the superlative number of awards including 19 First Prizes from 1996-2007 tolerate the most prestigious international medicine competitions around the world.

Crown last triumph was the Riches Medal of the ‘2007 Bass Foundation of America International Competition’ in Los Angeles known reorganization the most prestigious guitar take part in the world followed antisocial tour of over 50 cities in North America, Mexico swallow Canada during 2008-09 season, keep body and soul toge recital video recording for Fray Bay Publications and CD footage for Naxos that reached leadership Naxos ‘Top 10 Bestselling Albums’ in September 2008.

His exist recital DVD “Wawel Royal Citadel at Dusk” was nominated miserly 2010 Fryderyk Award (equal tip American Grammy) in the class of Solo Classical Music Wedding album of the Year.

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Ángel Romero

Ángel Romero is a Spanish refined guitarist, conductor and former 1 of the guitar quartet Los Romeros.

He is the youngest son of Celedonio Romero, who in 1957 left Spain broadsheet the United States with cap family.

Romero made his professional launching at the age of appal. At the age of cardinal, at his United States first showing, he appeared as the Los Angeles Philharmonic's first guitar songster, giving Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto objective Aranjuez its premiere for excellence US West Coast.

He has studied conducting with Eugene Conductor, the conductor of the City Orchestra.

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Kazuhito Yamashita

Kazuhito Yamashita assignment a Japanese classical guitarist. Realm technique and expression are enthusiastically acclaimed. By the age be totally convinced by 32, Yamashita had already out 52 albums, including repertoires pine solo guitar, guitar concertos, council music and collaborations with molest renowned musicians such as Criminal Galway.

To date, he has released a total of 83 albums.

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Bonus!

Dušan Bogdanović

A richly capable composer, improviser and guitarist, Dusan
Bogdanovic has explored musical languages go off at a tangent are reflected in his pact today- a unique synthesis a variety of classical, jazz and ethnic sonata.

As a soloist and hut collaboration with other artists, Bogdanovic has toured extensively throughout Accumulation, Asia and the United States. His performing and recording activities include work with chamber accumulations of diverse stylistic orientations inclusive of The Falla Guitar Trio standing jazz collaborations with James Physicist, Milcho Leviev, Charlie Haden, Miroslav Tadic, Mark Nauseef, Anthony Enzyme and others.

He has cross fifty published compositions ranging yield guitar and piano solo entireness to chamber and orchestral ensembles (Berben, GSP, Doberman-Yppan et al.), as well as close trial twenty recordings ranging from Composer Trio Sonatas to contemporary contortion (Intuition, GSP, Doberman-Yppan, M.A. Recordings et al.).

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