World-Renowned Master Guitarist Performs In Malibu

Acclaimed Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas brings his AMERICANO tour to Pepperdine University at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.

Tickets, starting at $25 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu. More information about Sáinz Villegas is available at pablosainzvillegas.com.

Praised as "the soul of the Spanish guitar", Sáinz-Villegas has become a worldwide sensation known as this generation's great guitarist, and has been acclaimed by the international press as the successor of Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture in the world. Since his early debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos at Lincoln Center, he has played in more than 40 countries and with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the National Orchestra of Spain.

Plácido Domingo hailed him as "the master of the guitar" from the beginning their multiple collaborations together. They most recently released Volver, a duo album with Sony Classical and they have performed in unique stages around the world such as the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid to an audience of over 85,000 people, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and on a floating stage on the Amazon River televised internationally for millions.

Sáinz-Villegas is one of the most acclaimed soloists by prestigious conductors, orchestras, and festivals. In 2019 he made his debut with the Chicago Symphony and he was a special guest at the tribute concert for Domingo at Guadalajara's stadium in Mexico. As a solo recitalist, he performed for the first time at the Harris Theater in Chicago, at San Francisco Performances and at Boston's Celebrity Series. He also continued touring with his trio band along with a special presentation this year at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York.

He has appeared on some of the world's most prominent stages including the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Musikverein in Vienna and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. During his last season he played at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago to an audience of 11,000 people and highlights of his past international tours with orchestras include the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the National Orchestra of Spain and the New Zealand Symphony. The success of his performances has translated into repeated invitations from conductors such as Juanjo Mena, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Carlos Kalmar and Alondra de la Parra.

Regularly invited to perform at corporate and governmental events, he has played at special events for the Real Madrid Foundation and on several occasions before members of the Spanish Royal Family as well as other heads of state and international leaders such as the Dalai Lama.

As an active recording artist, his solo album Americano quickly made its debut to the top 15 on their charts under the Harmonia Mundi label. He also recorded the famed three concerti by Joaquín Rodrigo with the National Orchestra of Spain. As a passionate promoter of the development of new repertoire, he has made numerous world premieres including the first composition for guitar by five-time Academy Award-winner John Williams.

Sáinz-Villegas was inspired to take guitar lessons at age six and gave his first public performance at just seven years old. Over the years, he accomplished an impressive collection of over 30 international awards, including the Segovia Award which he won at age 15 and the coveted gold medal at the inaugural Parkening International Guitar Competition.

As a lifelong dreamer, educator and philanthropist, he founded in 2006 the non-profit project "The music without borders legacy," with the mission of bringing music to humanize people's environment and to promote the understanding among different cultures. These values are correspondingly instilled in communities worldwide as part of his Artist-In-Residence collaborations with orchestras and festivals. Through his various initiatives he has shared his music with more than 35,000 children in Spain, Mexico, and United States

For his appearance at the Pepperdine, Sáinz Villegas will be accompanied by versatile bassist Pedro Giraudo and master percussionist Nacho Arimany presenting AMERICANO, a musical journey of song through the Americas.

Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Giraudo is a Grammy Award-winning composer, conductor and arranger whose collaborations range from tango to jazz and include such legendary artists as Pablo Ziegler and Branford Marsalis. He has conducted the world-renowned WDR Big Band and Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and played bass on dozens of albums for leading record labels around the world.

Arimany works as a producer, performer and educator. Specializing in North African and flamenco rhythms, he performs internationally as a flamenco percussionist and has received critical acclaim for his work with flamenco greats Joaquín Cortés, Rocío Molina and Rafaela Carrasco.