Juan Camacho León – Guitar

Start Time: 9.30pm

Entrance Fee: $200

Born in Chiclayo, Peru, León started his musical studies in piano at the age of 8 in his home town. At age 11, he started playing guitar and began studying under António Mi ñano Bardales in Trujillo. He finished his conservatory courses later, again in Chiclayo, with the highest qualifications in Guitar.

Among his teachers are Ner Rojas Puican, and in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he studied private lessons under Ryuhei Kobayashi.

Between 1987 and 1993 León was appointed Professor at the Conservatório Superior de Música de Chiclayo, where he taught Guitar, Harmony, and Choral Direction. In 1989 he won 1st prize in the 1s t National Classical Guitar Competition organized by the Juventudes Musicales del Perú in Lima.

Over the years he has given numerous concerts throughout Peru, and after winning the1st prize in Lima in 1989, he went on to tour and perform all over Latin America also playing solo or with Orchestra the “Concierto de Aranjuez” y la “Fantasía para un gentil hombre” de Joaquin Rodrigo.

In 1993 León was invited to become Guitar Professor at the Conservatório Regional de Música de Horta Azores (Portugal) and gave concerts on many of the Azores islands.

Juan Camacho León has participated in masterclasses with David Starobin, Roland Dyens, David Russell, Costas Cotsiolis, Roberto Aussell, Eduardo Isaac, Hugo Geller, Jesús Castro Balbi, Hopkinson Smith, Joaquin Clerch and Ricardo Gallén

Parallel to his classical music and teaching career, he has kept up an active life playing Jazz, and has particpated in the International Jazz Festival in Faro with the Jazz Quartet of trompetist, Hugo Alves.

León is currently Guitar Professor at the Beja Conservatory in Portugal, and at the Academia de Música Lagos, and gives concerts around Portugal in cities such as Lisbon, Braga, Albufeira, Portimão, Lagos, Faro, as well as in many cities in Spain.

Besides the guitar (Or in addition to the guitar ) Juan León has studied other instruments like the piano, the cello, the clarinet  and the double bass.

Juan . León is BS Degree (Licenciature) from the University of Évora, Portugal

Post Graduate Studies (Master Degree) in Classical Guitar with Ricardo Gallén, Univeristy of Extremadura, Spain. (Not concluded due to the cancellation of the course by the University )

Juan Camacho León has written a method for Beginner Guitar, which will be published shortly.

In 2008 he recorded a CD of original music for flute and guitar with the flautist and composer, César Peredo. This recording includes compositions by Mauro Giuliani and Astor Piazzolla.

Juan Camacho León maintains an active playing career as solo guitarist, and with his trio Concordas (cello, guitar and Double bass in the Algarve), and also with his Duo Sonare (flute and guitar).

He also has a jazz group which performs regularly, in which he plays both guitar and piano.