CLASSICAL GUITAR ~ ITS HISTORY & HEROS

Rooted in history through its predecessors, the lute and the baroque guitar, the "classical" version of the guitar has risen from an instrument of the streets, barber shops, and gypsy camps to one that now commands respect on the world's most prestigious concert stages. Credit for this evolution must be shared between those that refined the instrument's structure ... and those that have composed for, and performed on it — with incredible virtuosity.

Much of the praise for the guitar's development must go to a Spanish luthier, Antonio de Torres, who, in the mid 19th century, significantly improved the instrument by, among other things, redesigning its internal bracing. In 1874, a young Castellón, Francisco Tárrega, studied at the Madrid Conservatory on a Torres guitar. The instrument's superior qualities inspired the student ... not only to play, but to also compose. More than any other musician, Tárrega laid the foundation for wide-spread acceptance of the guitar as a concert instrument. His accomplishments soon influenced another notable Spanish maestro, Andrés Segovia. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the last 400 years, the guitar has been the most popular and accessible of musical instruments — and a great deal of credit for this must go the classical guitar and its impact on cultures around the world. Virtually every country now has its own virtuoso guitarists. And even though the classical guitar is no longer at the forefront of modern Pop music, its ongoing global appeal is forever secure.

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