Pablo Sáinz Villegas

"The classical guitarist who brought the audience to their feet at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium" (The Spaniard)

Pablo Sáinz Villegas is celebrated by the international press "for his virtuoso and sensitive delivery, with a rich and wide range of vibrant colours" (The New York Times).

Undoubtedly the most virtuoso of his generation, Pablo Sáinz Villegas is considered the successor to Andrés Segovia, and an ambassador of Spanish culture around the world.

Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, the artist has performed in more than 40 countries with major orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España and in halls such as the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the National Arts Centre in Beijing, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, etc. Pablo Sáinz Villegas has been awarded over 30 international prizes, including the Andrés Segovia Prize, the Galardón a las Artes Riojanas, the Premio Ojo Crítico de RNE and the Trelles Villademoros, and has also received an award from the Real Cuerpo de la Nobleza del Principado de Asturias.

He is a Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of La Rioja and a member of the Spanish Academy of Creative Arts. He has played for world figures such as the Dalai Lama and has performed many world premieres, including the first work for guitar by John Williams.

As a socially engaged artist, he is the founder and driving force behind the non-profit association Strings in Common in the USA and is the creator and artistic director of the La Rioja Festival in Spain.

In the 2023-24 season, in addition to the New Year's concert with the Metropolitan Orchestra Bratislava, he will perform on a tour of Colombia with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, make his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, participate in festivals in Dubrovnik and Ljubljana, and return to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.