ALBERTO J. RODRÍGUEZ-ORTIZ

jrm.monro@gmail.com

Alberto J. Rodríguez-Ortiz is among the most active contemporary music interpreters of the new generation of Puerto Rican musicians. Among various international festivals Rodríguez-Ortiz has participated are the International Guitar Festival of Puerto Rico (2000), where he played among artists such as David Russell, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Antigoni Goni, Iván Rijos; El Salvador’s International Festival of Contemporary Music (2000), María Escalón de Núñez’s Guitar Festival (El Salvador 2000), Second Twentieth Century Music Festival (San Juan, Puerto Rico 1999). In 1997, he was invited as composer in residence at The Rome Festival. Rodríguez-Ortiz has also performed in cities such as Paris, Vienna, and New York. In this last city, he made his debut as part of the series “Música de Cámara, Inc.”, where he presented his song cycle “Sonetos de Amor”. He has performed extensively with the guitar trio “Matices”, ensemble that received the first prize at Puerto Rico’s Chamber Music Festival in 1994 with his composition “Invocando a Yúcahu”.

This august he was soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of El Salvador, performing Manuel Carcache's "Concierto para Guitarra y Orquesta". In the year 2000, Rodríguez-Ortiz inaugurated the series "Caras Nuevas", sponsored by F.A.M.A, and Casa de España in Puerto Rico, In duo with Dr, Eladio Scharrón, the critic has appraised them as "two virtuosos of the guitar with great capabilities for interpretation and complete technical dominance". The Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día described Mr. Rodríguez-Ortiz as a performer "with refined technique, great agility, and plenty of tenderness". London's Classical Guitar said: "there could be no better introduction to the Latin American classical guitar".

Rodríguez-Ortiz obtained his Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, where he studied with three of the most distinguished guitarists of the country: Juan Sorroche, Ernesto Cordero, and Eladio Scharrón. He has studied composition as well with Carlos Vázquez, Luis Manuel Álvarez, Miguel Cubano, Raymond Torres Santos, Carlos Cabrer, Stella Sung, Kevin Putz and Francis Schwartz. His participation in master-classes include studies with Flores Chaviano, Miguel Angel Girollet, Nicholas Goluses, Malcolm Bilson, Paul O'Dette, William Karmengeiser, Arthur Brooks, José Daniel Martínez and the duo Castellani-Andriaccio. In 1997, he obtained his Masters degree in Music and Literature (Guitar) from Eastman School of Music in New York, where he studied with Nicholas Goluses. He studied as well in Paris with Alberto Ponce and Yoshihisa Taira, In 2001, he received the "Diplôme de Composition" of the École Normale de Musique de Paris.

Currently, Mr. Rodríguez-Ortiz resides in Puerto Rico, where he teaches at the Conservatory of Music Puerto Rico, Tasis School in Dorado and the School of Fine Arts in Cayey.