RICARDO JESUS GALLEN GARCIA (SPAIN)

Ricardo Jesus Gallen Garcia was born in Linares, Jaen in 1972, beginning to play the guitar at age four. He gave his first concert in public at the age of five with his father, Manuel Gallen. At ten he entered the Conservatory of Music of Linares, receiving his first official lessons of music with the Director and Founder of the school, the composer Tomas Villajos. He continued his studies in the Conservatories of Jaen and Superiors of Cordoba, Madrid and Granada.Gallen is described as "one of the greatest guitarists of this era" (Eliot Fisk) and "the natural sucessor to Narcisco Yepes and Andreas Segovia" (el ABC). He is the first prize winner in many of the world's largest competitions, notably the Francisco Tarrega Competition, Andreas Segovia Competition, Alhambra, and Havana Competition.

Gallen has recently participated in the recording of a CD interpreting works of contemporary Spanish composers and has already recorded four CD's for NAXOS interpreting music of Giuliani, Brouwer, Takemitsu, etc., as well as all the concertos for guitar and orchestra by Joaquin Rodrigo. The first disk has been among the 50 most sold of NAXOS during the year 2001 obtaining sensational critics. His biographical data is included in the fifth edition of the book "The Classical Guitar- it's evolution, players and personalities since 1800" written by the director of Ashley Mark Publishing Company, Maurice J. Summerfield.

At present Gallen is a Professor of Graduate and Upper Degree in the School of Arts "Luthier" of Barcelona and Assistant of Professorship in the University "Mozarteum" in Salzburg, Austria. He is an active concertist, concerto soloist and instructor with appearances throughout North and South America, Russia and Europe and broadcasts on National Radio and Television.

Read more about Ricardo Gallen on www.ricardogallen.com

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