Pablo Marquez

Regarded as one of the most accomplished and complete musicians of our time, Pablo Márquez takes the guitar to rare levels of expression, combining spontaneity and profound intellectual rigour. The extraordinary extent of his repertoire, which embraces the full historical spectrum from the earliest lute and vihuela publications to the most recent and sophisticated contemporary works – which are often dedicated to him – is unanimously admired.

His name is always associated with a unique sound, as evidenced by his numerous recordings for ECM and other labels. Each of his registers has become a reference, whatever the repertoire engraved. Awards such as the Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros or the Japan Record Academy Award bear witness of this, as do the countless reactions from the press.

The New York Times wrote of his sensational 2007 ECM debut – the legendary label’s very first classical guitar recording – that Pablo Márquez is an eloquent advocate of Luys de Narváez’s contrapuntal mastery and sense of virtuosity. His latest opus, Sehnsucht, a Schubert recording with soprano María Cristina Kiehr released in September 2023, was chosen by Classique News as its record event of the autumn. Die Zeit wrote about Die Nacht, his recording with cellist Anja Lechner: Anja Lechner and Pablo Márquez enlight the night with Schubert. Meanwhile, El Cuchi bien temperado, dedicated to the music of his compatriot Gustavo Leguizamón, features among the 100 best recordings (in all genres) of 2015, selected by American journalist Ted Gioia. As for A joyful brotherhood, his register with pianist Jan Schultsz dedicated to works for guitar and fortepiano by Giuliani, Hummel and Moscheles, it was described as An enchanted paradise by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.