MIGUEL TRÁPAGA

BIOGRAPHY

Recognized for having rescued, commissioned, premiered and recorded world’s first recordings of works that go from the 18th century to the present day, Miguel Trápaga is currently one of the most brilliant international guitarists, highly valued for his commitment to the repertoire of his instrument and for his constant concern to present coherent programs with a musical interest.

Born in Cantabria, he studied at the conservatory of his hometown and later at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid with Javier Canduela and Demetrio Ballesteros respectively, expanding his studies with various teachers such as José Tomás, David Russell and Gerardo Arriaga.

An outstanding musician from an early age, he received a scholarship from the Marcelino Botín Foundation of Santander, Juventudes Musicales of Madrid and the La Caixa Foundation of Barcelona, obtaining numerous awards in both national and international competitions, among others: Award for the Outstanding Graduate of the Year at the Conservatory Superior of Music of Madrid, 1990; Permanent Competition of Musical Youth of Spain, 1992; XVI “Andrés Segovia” International Guitar Competition, Palma de Mallorca, 1993; III Great Lakes Guitar Competition, Oberlin – Ohio (USA), 1994 and at the XII International Solo Guitar Competition (Guitar Foundation of America), Quebec, (Canada), 1994.

He has performed in broadcasts for Spanish National Radio, Antena 2 of Portugal, ABC of Australia and the BBC among others. He has seven recordings and recently recorded the “Concierto de Aranjuez” by Joaquín Rodrigo and the world recording premiere of “Concierto de Benicassim” by the cuban composer Leo Brouwer for the NAXOS label. His last recording for NAXOS is the álbum “Double Guitar Concertos” with works by three spanish composers: Antón García Abril, Javier López de Guereña and David del Puerto.

Committed to contemporary music, he has premiered numerous works, some composers have dedicated works to him or he has made the world first recording of music by composers such as Federico Moreno-Torroba, Antón García Abril, Javier López de Guereña, José Manuel Fernández, Juan José Mier, Esteban Sanz Vélez, Manuel Martínez Burgos, Tomás Marco, Ananda Sukarlan, David del Puerto and Leo Brouwer among many others.

Excellent ambassador of the Spanish guitar, Trápaga has been selected on several occasions to represent Spain: EXPO (Dubai 2020), Auditorium of the Forbidden City in Beijing as Spanish representative of the Year of Spain (China, 2007), commemoration of the Reversal of the Panama Canal in the National Theater of this country (Panama, 1999).

In addition to a frequent chamber Music activity, he has toured extensively in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Latin América, Asia, Canada and United States, in theatres like Cecilia Meireles in Rio de Janerio, Victoria Concert hall in Singapore, National Theatre in Taiwan, Musiikkitalo in Helsinki, Teresa Carreño en Caracas, Ateneu Romano in Bucarest, Auditorio Nacional Adela Reta in Montevideo, Lysenko Hall in Kiev… As a soloist, with Real Filharmonia de Galicia, Oviedo Filarmonía, Seville Symphony Orchestra, ORCAM, Madrid Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, National Philarmonic of Ukraine and Simon Bolívar Simphony Orchestra of Venezuela and he has been invited to participate in important International Festivals such as the International Festival of Santander, the International Festival of Granada, the “Música Sur” Festival and the “Leo Brower” Chamber Music Festival in La Habana, among others.

Currently he is a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid and he is regularly invited to lead master classes in Spain and abroad like Esmuc (Barcelona), Fryderyk Chopin Academy in Warsaw, Massey University in Wellington (New Zealand), Sibelius Academy in Helsinki or Melbourne University

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P R E S S

Antonio Higuera | ABC, Córdoba 14/07/2024

El mejor espectáculo del apartado de danza y baile del festival y, posiblemente también, uno de los mejores que han pasado este año por el IMAE.

Lo excepcional del espectáculo es que la libertad con la que está concebida la propuesta tiene como resultado la puesta en escena de una amalgama de recursos dancísticos que son realmente inusuales y están al alcance de muy pocos artistas.

Por no citar la selección ‘pata negra’ de partituras de guitarra española con la que Trápaga da cobertura musical a las coreografías.

Gramophone | Brouwer Guitar Quintet and Solo works

An exquisite performance

“This is an outstanding overview of Brouwer ’s prolific output of guitar music, from the lyrical and folk-based to the avant-garde, and covering a period of over four decades. The Guitar Quintet here has his first recording… Everything about the performances and recording per se is of the highest quality”

Martin Adams | The Irish Times

A sophisticated performance

… The guitar recital by Miguel Trápaga epitomized how a sophisticated player can get the most out of a specialist repertoire. The programme consisted of 20th Century music, most of it descended from Spanish folk traditions. This was polished playing, without ego, and with one clear priority – delivering characterful, shapely accounts of each piece. Trápaga is one of those musicians who draws the listener into the world he is creating, a world tinted with subtle colours, in which the guitar’s range of tone is used with unfailing aptness, and in which the timing of events makes everything seem like a fresh discovery. The combination of high-art and folksy evocation was impeccably balanced.

The most interesting music came in two full-length sonatas. One by Antonio José Martínez Palacios was an intriguing, neo-classical exploration of tradition Spanish idioms. But best of all was the 1990 sonata by Cuban Leo Brouwer. Is three-character piece movements draw on stylistic ideas from earlier composers to create a fascinating blend of contemporary and historical writing for the guitar.”

Rosalinda L. Orosa | The Philippine Star

Add to the world-class artists of the Spanish Festival Miguel Trapaga, a superb guitarist who traced 200 years of Spanish guitar music in less than two hours at the RCBC theater, showing the fascinating development of guitar works by composers born from 1774 to 1896, and ending with Albeniz’s well-loved Sevilla.

Trapaga’s amazing dexterity encompassed the delicate, the robust, the slow and languid, the intense and rapid. His nuances were of the subtlest and most sensitive. The Spanish music’s distinctive flavor and the Spanish guitar’s distinctive qualities, so magnificently illustrated by Trapaga, enthralled all evening.

Javier Martínez-Corbalán | Revista Hispano – Cubana

La interpretación de Miguel Trápaga de estas composiciones es sobresaliente tanto en la ejecución técnica como en la expresión; en el Quinteto la conjunción y el empaste con el cuarteto de cuerda es ejemplar. En todas las piezas la guitarra aparece con un sonido limpio y equilibrado de gran expresividad y calidez. Destacando la profundidad y riqueza conceptual con que las obras nos son ofrecidas en ese desentrañar inefable de lo uno y múltiple.

Colin Cooper | Classical Guitar Magazine

Trápaga plays Brouwer’s music

.. Everything that Miguel Trápaga plays is contained within a calm framework, wit the result that the poetic side of Brouwer’s music is given the prominence it deserves. His programme is full of interest.

Miguel Trápaga’s immaculate expressiveness and perceptive intelligence make this strikingly successful contribution to the recorded Brouwer oeuvre.

A U D I O

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V I D E O

- Miguel Trápaga plays Llobet
- Watch Video
- Ana María Valderrama (violín) . Miguel Trápaga (guitarra). Niccolo Paganini: Cantabile
- Watch Video

N E W S

Guitarist Miguel Trápaga, to perform at the Madrid International Festival of Guitar (FIGUIM)

09/05/2024

Miguel Trápaga & La Guitarra en el tiempo de Manuel de Falla

01/09/2023

PROJECTS

"DANZA PARA LA GUITARRA"

DANZA PARA GUITARRA

es un encuentro, un diálogo entre el bailarín Valeriano Paños y el guitarrista Miguel Trápaga.

Un concierto bailado, una especie de polidíptico que al desplegarse nos ofrece distintos aires españoles de músicas y danzas, de distintas épocas, de distintos caracteres. Una propuesta donde el gran bailarín y coreógrafo de todo rango, único en su estilo, expone una estilización y fantasía totalmente anárquica y contemporánea de las danzas españolas: del folklore o baile regional, el baile clásico español y el baile flamenco y donde el músico y catedrático tañe una variedad de composiciones que pone de manifiesto su versatilidad, calidad y conocimiento.

Una propuesta que a veces es clásica, neojondista o contemporánea, otras veces nacionalista, flamenca o estilizada, ensayada e improvisada, bolera, popular, experimental y barroca.

Una colección de músicas y danzas que van saltando en el tiempo, sin una conexión aparente, como si de una playlist en modo aleatorio se tratara.

Del siglo XVIII al XX, del XIX al XVII y de ahí al XXI y vuelta al XVII, de Joaquín Turina a Gaspar Sanz y Joaquín Rodrigo, de Julián Arcas a Mauricio Sotelo y a Napoléon Coste, de Sainz de la Maza a Dionisio Aguado, de Ángel Barrios a Manuel María Ponce y de Antonio de Santa Cruz a Leo Brouwer.

De Miguel a Valeriano, de Paños a Trápaga, de la danza a la guitarra, del rasgueo al zapateado, y del trémolo al silencio, a la afinación o la pirueta. De la madera y el aire, al hueso… a la vibración.

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DÚO ANA MARÍA VALDERRAMA - MIGUEL TRÁPAGA

MIGUEL TRÁPAGA

BIOGRAPHY

Miguel Trápaga plays Llobet

Ana María Valderrama (violín) . Miguel Trápaga (guitarra). Niccolo Paganini: Cantabile

PROJECTS