Andrés Segovia

Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (February 21, 1893 – June 2, 1987), was a pioneering Spanish classical guitarist who transformed the guitar from a folk instrument into a respected solo concert staple in classical music. Born in Linares, Jaén, Spain, Segovia was largely self-taught on the guitar, drawing early influences from Francisco Tárrega's school through lessons with Miguel Llobet, and he gave his first public recital in Granada around 1909 or 1910. Over his seven-decade career, he performed more than 5,402 recitals across the globe, including his landmark U.S. debut in 1928, and continued touring until his final concert in Miami Beach in April 1987.

Segovia's most enduring contributions lay in expanding the classical guitar's repertoire and technique; he commissioned original works from major 20th-century composers such as Heitor Villa-Lobos, Manuel Ponce, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Federico Moreno Torroba, while also creating transcriptions of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Fernando Sor, and others to suit the instrument. He published influential editions, including his 1945 arrangement of Sor's Twenty Studies for the Guitar through Edward B. Marks Music Corporation, which became a cornerstone for guitar pedagogy and helped standardize playing techniques like rest-stroke and free-stroke. Additionally, Segovia advocated for nylon strings over gut, enhancing the guitar's tonal possibilities, and through masterclasses—such as those at the annual Música en Compostela festival—he mentored influential players like Julian Bream and John Williams.