Álvaro Pierri, born into a musical family in Montevideo, Uruguay, is one of the greatest and most accomplished guitarists of his generation. His early musical education was at the hands of his mother, Ada Estades, on piano and his aunt, Olga Pierri, on guitar (Olga was well known in Uruguay and recorded with a group of three or four other female guitarists: “Conjunto de Guitarras de Olga Pierri”). Pierri won his first competition at the age of 11. Pierri’s later teachers were the legendary Abel Carlevaro and the composer Guido Santórsola.

Pierri has recorded numerous award-winning albums, many of which feature the guitar in chamber settings. He is an internationally acclaimed and in-demand teacher and travels the world teaching masterclasses and workshops at some of the biggest guitar festivals. Currently Pierri is the guitar professor at the Academy of Music at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. Álvaro will be performing at this year’s Guitar Foundation of America Convention in Fullerton, California.

We hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation with Álvaro! Please check out a video of Pierri in a recent performance below, along with a video of Olga Pierri y Sus Conjuntos de Guitarras.