Artist description One of the most attractive personalities of the guitar world, Ricardo Iznaola pursues a brilliant, multi-faceted musical career. An American citizen, he was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1949, and trained in Caracas under maestros Manuel Pérez Diaz and Alirio Diaz, and in Madrid under the eminent master Regino Sainz de la Maza, while pursuing advanced studies in Theory and Composition at Madrid's Royal Conservatory. Critics, colleagues and audiences in four continents have acclaimed his path-breaking work as concert and recording artist, composer, teacher, lecturer and writer. Mr. Iznaola has won top prizes in eight international competitions, including the Munich International Performance Competition, the Francisco Tárrega Competition, the Alirio Diaz Competition and the Stroud International Composers' Competition. "Expressive...full of character...persuasive... An assured musician with flair as well as technique"LOS ANGELES TIMES THE CONCERT ARTISTRicardo Iznaola's distinguished performing career includes innumerable concert performances at venues like Wigmore Hall (London), Merkin Hall (New York City), Hercules Saal (Munich), Grande Salle de l'Unesco (Paris), Ishibashi Memorial Hall (Tokyo), Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), Teatro Municipal (Caracas), Gran Teatro de la Maestranza (Seville), the Philharmonic Society (Bilbao), the Manuel de Falla Auditorium (Granada), as well as many music festivals in the United States, Europe, South America and Japan. He has been guest soloist with numerous orchestras under the batons of conductors Keith Lockhart, Theo Alcantara, Donald Johanos, David Lockington, Manuel Galduf, Gerhardt Zimmerman, James Setapen, Vincent La Guardia, Horst Buchholz, and many others. His eclectic, vast repertoire encompasses five centuries of music for the guitar, with particular emphasis on the literature produced by great Latin American and Spanish composers. Critics have been unanimous in highlighting the importance of his re-discovery and promotion of the monumental SONATA by Antonio José, his interpretations of music by the Spanish composers of the so-called Generation of 1927, and his unique transcriptions of piano and orchestral masterpieces like Chopin's Waltzes, Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso, or Manuel de Fall's Ritual Fire Dance, never before attempted for solo guitar. An artist of charisma, charm and authority, his performances are characterized by immediate rapport with his audiences who respond with enthusiasm to his virtuosity and intense musicality."A truly visionary virtuoso who accomplishes gigantic feats where most mortals see only impossibilities and aesthetic objections... Here is one Icarus whose wings do not melt at altitude"CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE

Music Style Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary

Similar Artists Segovia

Artist History THE RECORDING ARTISTSince 1970, when his debut album with the world-premiere recording of Antonio Lauro's legendary SONATA was released by the PROMUS label in South America, Ricardo Iznaola has produced 13 recordings for the Promus, Belter and Columbia labels. In 1991 he founded his own recording and publishing company, IGW (Iznaola Guitar Works), through which his three most recent and critically acclaimed CD's have been issued: The Dream of Icarus, Virtuoso Romantic Music, and 1927 - Spanish Guitar Music from the Time of García Lorca. "Iznaola's self-proclaimed personal exploration of Romantic virtuosity (Virtuoso Romantic Music) is the perfect companion to his previous IGW release (The Dream of Icarus) which featured the historic world premiere recording of the Antonio José Sonata... [His]transcendental technique and consummate musicianship...challenge the term 'virtuosity' as applied to the guitar"SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE

Group Members THE COMPOSERMr. Iznaola's catalogue of original works includes his one-movement Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Tiempo Muerto, the instrumental suite Musique de Salon, the mini-cantata for narrator, choir and guitar Frank's Berries, the Monologue for solo double-bass, and numerous guitar compositions: Variations on a theme of Antonio Lauro, Monologue II, Musique de Salon (in versions for solo guitar and guitar duo), Three Little Tales (Tom-Thumb's Ballad, Dragonslayer, Alice's Rumba), the Concert Etudes (Ten Etudes-Homages, and Death of Icarus). The Concert Etudes, written in a neo-Romantic, highly virtuosic idiom, have attracted considerable attention by fellow guitarists, as well as becoming audience favorites in many of Mr. Iznaola's performances."...his extraordinary Concert Etudes: imagine an amalgam of Regondi and Villa-Lobos written in the spirit of Liszt and you have an inkling of what these pieces are about"SOUNDBOARD THE AUTHORRicardo Iznaola's didactic works are rapidly becoming standard texts for the training of guitar professionals, and are used as required materials in many prestigious conservatories and universities in the U.S.A. and Europe. Three of these books are currently available on both sides of the Atlantic: Kitharologus-The Path to Virtuosity, On Practising, and, most recently, The Physiology of Guitar Playing. He is at present working on a comprehensive treatise on the art of classical guitar performance, Summa Kitharologica. Mr. Iznaola has contributed many articles, essays and entries to numerous journals, encyclopedias and other publications in Europe and the Americas. Chanterelle Verlag, Mel Bay Publications and IGW distribute Mr. Iznaola's writings."A guitarist who truly deserves to be called a Master"GENDAI GUITAR MAGAZINE

Instruments classical guitar

Albums The Icarus Collection and more at iznaolaguitarworks.com

Press Reviews THE TEACHEREqually renowned as a master teacher, Ricardo Iznaola is Director of the Conservatory Division and Chair of the Guitar and Harp Department at the Lamont School of Music of the University of Denver, where he has been honored with the Distinguished Faculty Artist Award in 1990 and the 1999-2000 University Lecturer Award. His students have won prizes and have placed as finalists in numerous prestigious competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition, the Andrés Segovia Competition, the WTNA-Wurlitzer Collegiate Artist Competition, the Manuel Ponce Competition, the Tokyo International Guitar Competition, etc. Celebrated for the dynamism and effectiveness of his masterclasses and residencies, he has been invited to offer them at institutions like Yale University, the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music, Trinity College of Music, Mannes College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, the Cleveland Instituteof Music, the San Francisco Conservatory, the New England Conservatory, and Oberlin College, among many others.In addition, he has served as adjudicator in many of the world's most important guitar competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America Competition (USA), the Francisco Tárrega Competition (Spain), the Alirio Diaz Competition (Venezuela), the Manuel Ponce Competition (Mexico) and the Seto-Ohashi Competition (Japan), among others.Mr. Iznaola has been distinguished with Honorary Membership in the European Guitar Teachers Association - UK Chapter, Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society and Pi Kappa Lambda Honors Music Society."One of the most seminal players, teachers and thinkers of the guitar scene today"John Holmquist, Head of Guitar Studies, Cleveland Institute of Music

Location Denver, CO - USA

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