G. Solari - Biography

Considered by the critics one of the most refined guitar players of his generation, Gonzalo Solari was born in Fray Bentos (Uruguay).
He studied guitar with Amilcar Rodrìguez Inda and Abel Carlevaro, completing his studies of Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and Interpretation with Guido Santorsola.
He achieved his diploma very young and he began a successful concert career performing in important theaters and concert societies of Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, USA, Canada; Switzerland, France, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Sweden; Spain, ex Soviet Union, Latin America, China, Japan, etc.

Winner of important international guitar prizes like: Ministerio de Cultura (Uruguay 1977), Facultad de Mùsica Palestrina (Brazil 1980), Istituto Italo-Latinoamericano Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena 1982), in September 1988 has been awarded by Radio Caritas the Honourable Mention for his research on the lute and works of the composer and guitarist Agustìn Barrios Mangoré.

Since 1985 to 1988 he was the founder and Director of the Municipal School of Guitar of Fray Bentos, Uruguay. He was also the founder and Artistic Director of the International Guitar Competition "ABEL CARLEVARO"; which took place in 1986 and 1987 at Fray Bentos. This was the first competition in the history of the Uruguayan guitar movement which took the name of the famous Maestro.
He has also recorded his performances for private and public radio-television boards in Europe, Australia, Latin America, Japan and United States. Gonzalo Solari records for the record company "Urusué" of Malmoe, Sweden.

He is often invited to take part of the jury of important international contests.
At present he lives in Arezzo, where he teaches at the International Centre for Musical Activities Promotion (C.I.P.A.M.) together with the pianist and composer Carlo Alberto Neri. Neri dedicated to Gonzalo Solari his "Quattro Frammenti" for guitar which Solari performed for the first lime in July 1991 at the XVI "Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte" of Montepulciano, an important festival directed by the German composer Hans Werner Henze.
The American composer Darius Clynes has dedicated to him some pieces which Solari has played in premiere, in American and European festivals, with great success of public and critics.
The Uruguayan composer Ulises Ferretti dedicated to him the "Suite Rolle for guitar (1997).

In July and August 1998 Gonzalo Solari performed a very successful tournée playing in the most important concert halls of South America and Caribe . He turned back to these stages in 1999. Beyond the traditional bounds of the virtuoso, he stands out as one of the most qualified researchers on the guitar field. He regularly writes for the most important American and European music and cultural reviews.

Gonzalo Solari is the Artistic Director of two important international festivals: "Music and Sounds from South America", held at Montevarchi (Italy) and the Caribbean Guitar Festival at Barranquilla, Colombia. This festival is organized by the C.E.D.I.M. (Musical Research Center) of the Biblioteca Piloto del Caribe.

In August 1999 he was appointed member of the Board of Directors of the prestigious "Guido d'Arezzo Foundation". He will be a councilor until 2004.

Gonzalo Solari played a guitar concert November 15th 2002, during the XI Encuentro Internacional de Guitarra Ciudad de Linares "Andrés Segovia", in Spain. He performed at the Casa Museo (Museum House) entitled to the famous Spanish guitarist in front of a large audience which paid hommage to him with a long and warm applause.
He was the first American guitarist to play a concert in the Museum after the body of Andres Segovia was moved to the private crypt at the Museum House.

Gonzalo Solari plays on a guitar made by the luthier MASARU KOHNO (Japan).