Manuel Barrueco is recognized internationally as a leading figure in the guitar world today. His artistry has been continually described as that of a superb instrumentalist and an elegant musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.

His international tours take him to some of the most important musical centers in the world each season. Recent appearances have included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Copenhagen, Athens, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He also has just completed his ninth tour of Japan.

This past season, he appeared at the famous BBC Proms Concerts at The Royal Albert Hall in London with The BBC Concert Orchestra and performed with The Royal Philharmonic in Madrid to commemorate the 100th anniversary Joaquín Rodrigo's birth.

Highlights of the upcoming season include the premiere of a new concerto by composer Roberto Sierra with the New World Symphony, and Mr. Barrueco will also appear as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Barcelona Symphony, the Galicia Symphony, and the Andorra Symphony. Later in the season, he will tour in duo with famed jazz guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola.

He has made well over a dozen recordings for EMI. Of his most recent, "¡Cuba!," was called "an extraordinary musical achievement" by the San Francisco Chronicle, while his recording of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with conductor/tenor Plácido Domingo and the Philharmonia Orchestra, was mentioned as the best recording of that piece in Classic CD Magazine. His latest release, "Nylon & Steel," is a collection of duos with guitar greats Al Di Meola, Steve Morse (Deep Purple), and Andy Summers (The Police), further demonstrating his outstanding versatility and imaginative programming.

His commitment to contemporary music and to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with many distinguished composers such as Toru Takemitsu, Roberto Sierra, Steven Stucky, and Arvo Pärt.
His performances have been broadcast by television stations such as NHK in Japan, Bayerische Rundfunk in Germany, and RTVE in Spain. In the United States, he has been featured in a Lexus car commercial, "CBS Sunday Morning", A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts", and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
Manuel Barrueco began playing the guitar at the age of eight, and he attended the Esteban Salas Conservatory in his native Santiago de Cuba. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1967, later completing his advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Barrueco also shares a commitment to teaching. He is on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, MD, where he also conducts a yearly master class in June which is attended by students from all over the world.

For more information see www.barrueco.com

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