Gabriel Guillen
Gabriel Guillén was born in Maracay, Venezuela. At the age of 6 he began to study the guitar under the Uruguayan guitarist Mario Vidalin, who introduced him to the technique of Abel Carlevaro and the music of Uruguay and Argentina. Later, he studied with Leopoldo Igarza, José Gregorio Guanchez and Alberto Espinosa at the Escela Superior de Música José Lamas.
Between 1984 and 1988 Gabriel Guillén was giving recitals in most of the guitar festivals in Venezuela and toured Venezuela giving recitals in about 15 cities. In 1987 he won third prize in the Antonio Lauro Competition and was awarded first prize by Rotary International. During this time he took active part in master classes given by Abel Carlevaro, Luis Zea, Rafael Benatar, Bartolomé Diaz and Franka Verhagen, an important producer of the 1986 Radio-Television Caracas program „Clasicos Dominicales“, a program presenting the most important artists of Venezuela.
In 1988 Gabriel Guillén won a scholarship to study music in Europe and in the same year moved to Vienna, Austria, studying under Prof. Walter Würdinger and in Zurich, Switzerland under Prof. Konrad Ragossnig. During his studies, Guillén gave concerts in most of the European contries, South America, U.S.A and Japan. After completing his studies in Europe, Gabriel Guillén received the „Merit Award“ from the Austrian Government, the „Amigo de Venezuela“ award from the the Venezuela Postiva and the „Honors Award from the Rotary Club Caracas-Avila.
He is now an internationaly acclaimed artist, who teaches at the Joseph Haydn Konservatorium in Eisenstadt, Austria, gives master classes and concerts in more than 34 counrties of the world and records for Philips and Record.v4m (Austria).
