LUIS MILAN

(1500 - 1561)

Composer, performer, and innovator, Luis Milan was one of the first pioneers to begin ‘breaking trail’ for everyone else on this list to follow. His primary instrument at this time was the vihuela. He was the first person to write a collection of music for the vihuela, which he entitled El Maestro. There are a total of 72 separate pieces in this collection; 50 of which are instrumental, and 22 are for vihuela with vocal accompaniment, all varying in difficulty from easy to virtuosic. He was also one of the first composers to begin using verbal tempo indications in his musical scores, such as allegro or andante.

Click Here to Listen to 'Pavane No. 6' by Luis Milan

JOHN DOWLAND

(1563 - 1626)

This English musician from the renaissance period is best known for his lute compositions. Many of these were written during his employment for various nobility; such as two French ambassadors while living in Paris, King Christian IV of Denmark, and King James I of Scotland. Today, his works for the lute have been revived and transcribed to be performed on the classical guitar. 

GASPAR SANZ

(1640 - 1710)

A virtuoso on the baroque guitar, Gaspar Sanz was professionally trained in music prior to becoming a Professor of Music at the University of Salamanca in Spain. His primary contribution to the classical guitar community today was three comprehensive volumes of music written for the baroque guitar. This effort has enlightened scholars today to the techniques he used in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, as well as provided the world with dozens of charming musicals works.

FERDINANDO CARULLI

(1770 - 1841)

A prolific Italian composer for the classical guitar who composed over 400 complete works for the instrument. His efforts have provided the classical guitar community with an incredible array of pieces to add to their repertoire. The most famous among his contributions is his Méthode complète pour guitare ou lyre, op. 27, written in 1810.

Click Here to Listen to 'Andantino' by Ferdinando Carulli

FERNANDO SOR

(1778 - 1839)

When one’s contemporaries unanimously regard you as the absolute best guitarist in the world, it probably is so. This was the case for Fernando Sor. Not only was his technical ability as a guitarist beyond virtuosic, he was also a remarkably gifted composer and his compositions stayed in high demand. His genius can be heard first hand by anyone who listens to his most popular composition, Introduction and Variations on Mozart's "Das klinget so herrlich" Op. 9, and can be experienced personally by anyone who attempts to perform it. This colossus of a piece has often been described as “fiendishly difficult.”

In his lifetime, Sor contributed more than just compositions, however, he also wrote the Méthode pour la Guitare, which was first published in Paris in 1830. This was translated into English by A. Merrick in 1832 under the new title Method for the Spanish Guitar. This sole work has enabled countless individuals to pick up and learn to play the guitar over the centuries. Among all of the great Spanish composers, Andrés Segovia esteemed Fernando Sor as his favorite. 

And interesting note, Fernando Sor refused to grow out the nails on his plucking hand, and therefore played with only his fingertips. 

Click Here to Listen to 'Estudio No. 5 in B Minor' by Fernando Sor

MAURO GIULIANI

(1781 - 1829)

Mauro Giuliani was among the leading Italian guitarists during the early 19th century. Although Giuliani never actually published a complete methodology for the guitar like some of his colleagues, he left behind a thorough collection of more than a hundred exercises that is still among the common study material for the majority of guitarists and educators today. 

Mauro Giuliani’s most famous exercises are as follows:

• Op.1- Studio per la chitarra ("Studio" for the guitar)

  • Part One, for the right hand (120 Right Hand Studies)

  • Part Two, for the left hand

  • Part Three, ornaments etc.

  • Part Four, twelve progressive lessons

Click Here to Listen to 'Etude in A Minor' by Mauro Giuliani

NICOLLÒ PAGANINI

(1782 - 1840)

It will probably come as a surprise to most to see the great violinist Paganini on this list, but his expert instrumental skills went far beyond just the violin. Paganini would travel everywhere with his guitar and it would often accompany him during performances as a surprise to the crowd. He wrote multiple pieces for solo guitar, including a few duets for guitar and violin. 

DIONISIO AGUADO

(1784 - 1849)

Aguado was a dear friend to Fernando Sor, and the two prodigies even shared a home in Paris at one point. Sor’s guitar duet entitled Les Deux Amis ("The Two Friends") was written in honor of their friendship: on the score, one part is marked "Sor" and the other "Aguado." Aguado was a prolific performer in his own right, and his major contribution to the guitar community was his Escuela de Guitarra; a guitar tutorial that he published back in 1825.

Click Here to Listen to 'Estudio' by Dionisio Aguado

MATTEO CARCASSI

(1792 - 1853)

Carcassi was an Italian guitarist who was acknowledged early on as a child prodigy. He had already moved to Germany and was a successful music teacher and performer on both the piano and guitar by the time he was nineteen years old. Carcassi performed in many concerts throughout his career, most notably was a tour he did in London. It took awhile before Carcassi’s immense talent was truly recognized by the public due to the presence of Carulli in Paris. He did write a method for guitar (Op. 59), but his most popular and enduring work would be his 25 Études, Op. 60; a remarkable marriage of technical skill and romanticism.

Click Here to Listen to 'Etude, Op. 60, No. 19' by Matteo Carcassi

NAPOLÉON COSTE

(1806 - 1883)

A prominent French classical guitarist in his time, Napoléon Coste first learned to play the guitar as a child through private lessons from his mother. She had been quite the accomplished musician herself. Coste moved away in his early twenties to seek out Fernando For, who then tutored the young and aspiring Coste. Napoléon would remain the leading French virtuoso after completing his studies under Sor. He also maintained a modest collection of guitars and preferred to play on his seven-stringed instrument above all else. 

JULIÁN ARCAS

(1832 - 1882)

One of the most single most important Spanish guitarists during the 19th century, Arcas played a major role as one of the primary influencers for Francisco Tárrega and Antonio de Torres. In 1863, a young Tárrega would hear Arcas perform a recital in Castellón. Tárrega’s father requested that Arcas listen to his son play after the concert and, being rather impressed, Arcas agreed to train and tutor Tárrega. Julián Arcas would go on to compose and publish fifty-two works and help Antonio de Torres design the soundboard for the modern guitar. 

Click Here to Listen to 'Tango' by Julián Arcas

FRANCISCO TÁRREGA

(1852 - 1909)

Tárrega, a Spanish guitarist and composer, is considered the be the “father of classical guitar,” due to his virtuosic ability on the instrument and his influence in his evolution. his most well-known composition ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ remains as one of the most performed pieces to this day. 

Throughout his childhood, Tárrega would consistently run away from home in order to pursue his passion for the classical guitar. On at least three occasions he did this and his father would have to go and look for him, traveling as far off as a few countries away in search for his son. His efforts paid off and Tarrega maintained a healthy career as a performer and educator teaching students such as Emilio Pujol and Miguel Llobet. 

At this point in history, the guitar was still seen as a second-rate instrument and only viewed as a means to accompany singers. Tárrega had a different idea in mind, however, and began transcribing popular music for the guitar, such as Chopin, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. This enhanced his repertoire and began changing the image of the classical guitar. Tarrega had many friends among the composers of his day and would often transcribe their music for the guitar. Isaac Albeniz is one such composer who is quoted stating he “preferred Tarrega’s guitar transcriptions to his original piano works.”

Francisco Tárrega played on a guitar made by Antonio de Torres. It was often stated that this instrument had “superior sonic capabilities” that moved Tárrega to wonder about the capabilities of the guitar. 

Click Here to Listen to 'Lágrima' by Francisco Tárrega

MIGUEL LLOBET

(1878 - 1937)

Miguel Llobet was a prolific Spanish guitarist and arranger. He was a student of the renowned Francisco Tárrega, and his most notable accomplishments were arrangements of the world famous works for the guitar, such as the piano works of Isaac Albéniz, which Andrés Segovia would later immortalize. 

Although he argues there was no real influence and emphasizes that he was self-taught, Segovia did have various admissions of looking to Llobet for advice for the refinement of his own playing. In fact, Purcell states, At the age of twenty-two (Segovia) pursued what he considered the only direct contact to Tárrega, Llobet, for refinement of his technique and especially for the music that both he and Tárrega had written and transcribed for the guitar... Segovia, whose performance style and technique reveals [sic] the principles of Tárrega, was basically influenced by Llobet....This stylistic influence can be heard when comparing Llobet's Parlophone Electric recordings (Chanterelle Historical Recordings CHR 001) with Segovia's Angel recordings, ZB 3896.”

Llobet played on a guitar made by Antonio de Torres and famously refused to have a split in the back repaired out of fear that it would “ruin the exquisite tone.”

EMILIO PUJOL

(1886 - 1980)

Another student of Francisco Tárrega, Emilio Pujol became one of the leading Spanish classical guitarists and composers in the early 20th century. He taught guitar at the Lisbon Conservatory of Music and worked closely alongside Andrés Segovia for several masterclasses throughout his career. He founded an International Course of Guitar, Lute, and Vihuela which would take place in the city of Lleida, Spain. 

AGUSTÍN BARRIOS

(1885 - 1944)

A Paraguayan guitarist and composer, Agustín Barrios’ music has been performed the world over by thousands of musicians for more than a century. Many of his more than 100 works are among the standard repertoire for aspiring classical guitarists and fill concert halls everywhere. Among these are the various Valses and the haunting La Catedral. In addition to composing, he arranged over 200 pieces from other composers for the guitar - a remarkable contribution to the community. Barrios became such a phenom that there are some eye-witness testimonies that declare he was “superior to Segovia.” Among his many other achievements, Barrios is credited as the first person to make recordings of the classical guitar, which he did in 1909 - 1910. 

ANDRÉS SEGOVIA

(1893 - 1987)

Andrés Segovia was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Spain. Many professional classical guitarists today were students of Segovia, or students of his students. Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire not only included commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works. He is remembered for his expressive performances: his wide palette of tone, and his distinctive musical personality, phrasing, and style.

He began his musical journey from a young age rejecting the traditional flamenco style, and leaning more towards the works of Fernando Sor and Francisco Tárrega. In fact, Tárrega had agreed to tutor the young Segovia, but passed away before they got a chance to meet. Segovia’s first performance was at the age of sixteen in Granada, where he played a select number of works from Tárrega and his own transcriptions of J.S. Bach. Through his efforts, and the efforts of Miguel Llobet, the guitar was starting to gain a presence on the world stage alongside other concert instruments. Andrés Segovia had a very strong personality and technical capacity on the guitar which led to increasing the instruments popularity. 

After his first tour of concerts in America, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote his famous Twelve Études, and dedicated them to Segovia. Later on, Segovia would meet with the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco who would go on to compose many works for the guitar for Segovia. 

After the second World War, Segovia was the first guitarist to endorse the switch to nylon strings instead of the traditional catgut. He exclaimed that nylon strings allow for the player to have more tonal stability and consistency. Nylon strings are now the standard among guitarists. 

Above all else, Andrés Segovia is remembered as the catalyst that led to the guitar becoming a respectable instrument and proving it worthy of living alongside any other traditional concert instrument on any stage. 

JULIAN BREAM

(1933 - 2020)

An English Classical guitarist, Julian Bream held a career in classical guitar performance that spanned over half  century, which is significantly longer than most who play the instrument. It was in this time that Bream recorded most of the standard guitar repertoire, like his dear friend and colleague, John Williams, and helped follow in the footsteps of Segovia to prove the classical guitar is a more-than-capable concert instrument.  Bream began playing the guitar hiding backstage, as it were. His father was a performing guitarist and a young Julian would hide behind the curtains at his father’s gigs and strum along by himself. He later learned to play through listening to records in his room and even studied for a time under Andrés Segovia. Over the years, Julian Bream’s playing develop an almost iconic sound and tone. His playing can be characterized as virtuosic and highly expressive, with an eye for details, and with strong use of contrasting timbres. His right hand did not hold a consistent position, but instead used a less rigid and varying hand position for incredible tonal variety. 

LEO BROUWER

(1939)

Leo Brouwer began learning the guitar at age thirteen through the encouragement of his father in Cuba, which was much later in life compared to many of his predecessors. Eventually, Brouwer found himself studying guitar and composition at the esteemed Juilliard School of Music in New York. He has been an avid composer throughout his illustrious career and written musical scores for over one hundred films. His most famous piece is Un Dia de Noviembre, written for solo guitar. This work was composed for a film of the same name. 

Click Here to Listen to ‘Un Dia de Noviembre’ by Leo Brouwer

JOHN WILLIAMS

(1941)

John Williams is often regarded as having the most flawless technical ability of any classical guitar. He is largely responsible for the promotion and popularity of the classical guitar through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He has recorded almost every piece of the standard repertoire for the classical guitar and performed select works in front of millions of viewers live on television on many occasions. His performances are often seen as the gold standard for excellence. Williams has recorded albums of duets with fellow guitarists Julian Bream and Paco Peña.

ROLAND DYENS

(1955 - 2016)

The preeminent classical guitarist and composer from France, Roland Dyens was a living legend. He studied under the esteemed Ponce, who was a student of Emilio Pujol during his time. Dyens was most well-known for his astounding capacity for improvisation, as he was also a jazz enthusiast. He would often begin concerts by improvising an entire piece, and claims this is how one of his most famous pieces, Tengo en Skaï, was written. On more than one occasion Roland Dyens would end up improvising entire concerts, which is why he sometimes would not announce the program beforehand. Interestingly, Dyens was an incredibly delicate guitar player, and would often need to be amplified in order to be heard properly during concerts. This in no way affected his sound, in fact it only served to enhance the performance. 

ANA VIDOVIC

Born in Croatia, Ana Vidović has earned a worldwide reputation as a first-class guitarist. First inspired to play through hearing older brothers play at the age of five, she then went on to begin her professional studies at the age of 8. By the time she was thirteen years of age, she was already performing internationally and held critical acclaim as an extraordinarily talented musician. Ana Vidović continued to perform and her reputation blossomed far beyond Europe and into the Americas where Manuel Barrueco heard of her. He promptly invited her to study under his tutelage at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, where she graduated from in 2003. 

Since she has begun her career she has won over twenty awards and international competitions. Her accolades include first prizes in the Albert Augustine Memorial International Competition (Bath, England) at the age of 13, the Fernando Sor competition (Rome, Italy), and the Francisco Tárrega competition (Benicàssim, Spain). Other top prizes include the Eurovision Young Musicians competition, the Mauro Giuliani competition in Italy, the Printemps de la Guitare competition in Belgium, and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.

In a review of one of her performances in 2006, Stephen Brookes of The Washington Post wrote: "her playing [...] was virtually immaculate – detailed, precise and polished. But this was no mere virtuosic display. Vidovic's playing is nuanced and intensely personal, both deeply felt and deeply thought." Guitar Review's Stephen Griesgraber noted "It is difficult to know where to begin when discussing the enormous talents of Ana Vidovic. Her dynamic range, beauty of sound, precision of articulation and virtuosity are such that listening becomes more of an absolute musical experience."

Her primary influences were the great gypsy and flamenco guitarist Paca de Lucia, and the technically immaculate John Williams. Vidović serves as an inspiration to young women everywhere looking to play and perform on classical guitar.