Martín-Gil, Damián (ed.), The Classical Guitar in Spain, Portugal, Italy & Germany. A General Approach to Its History (Madrid: INAEM, 2023)
In November 2019, two guitar colleagues at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música ‘Hermanos Berzosa’ (Cáceres, Spain) encouraged me to create an international program between different music academies in Europe. After a month thinking about it, I decided to apply for funds through the Erasmus+ program to the Ministry of Education of Spain with the aim of creating a classical guitar orchestra made up of students aged fourteen to eighteen from different countries. After pulling some strings in my circles, I managed to engage in the idea, besides my own conservatory, the Conservatório de Música do Porto (Portugal), the Musik und Kunstschule Havelland of Falkensee (Germany), and the Liceo Musicale ‘Paolina Secco Suardo’ of Bergamo (Italy).
The project aimed to imprint such a good experience on the students that it would elevate their motivation levels with the goal of increasing the number of those courageous enough to devote their lives to the guitar professionally. The project was also intended to strengthen the pedagogical abilities of the teachers involved, not only by letting them get to know the different educational systems — something that could redound on their way
of teaching — but also by improving their English skills, and particularly, deepening their knowledge of the history of the guitar in a serious way. To my surprise, and to that of all my colleagues, the project was awarded 125,000 € in September 2020, precisely in the middle of a global pandemic, something that would put the project itself in jeopardy, although it would only end up extending its initial duration by a year…)
The Classical Guitar in Spain, Portugal, Italy & Germany. A General Approach to Its History
