“virtuosic playing … irresistible exuberance” The New York Times
Undoubtedly the most virtuoso guitarist of his generation, Pablo Sainz-Villegas has been acclaimed by the international press as the successor to Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture in the world. He is the first solo guitarist to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York since Maestro Andrés Segovia did so in 1983, the first guitarist to play with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 2001, and the first guitarist to perform with the Berliner Philharmoniker at the New Year's Eve Gala since 1983.
Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos at the Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, he has performed in over 40 countries and with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, and the National Orchestra of Spain, as well as in venues such as the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, among many others of equal importance and reputation.
His most notable milestones include the Princess of Asturias Awards Concert and his participation in the Metropolitan Opera Gala last May at the Palace of Versailles. His numerous performances at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, which captivated more than 85,000 attendees, as well as concerts held in distinguished venues such as Grant Park in Chicago, the iconic Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, and the illustrious Hollywood Bowl, accompanied by the LA Philharmonic, have made him one of this generation’s most remarkable and prolific performers.
As a socially committed artist, he is the founder and driving force behind the non-profit association Strings in Common in the United States. He is also the creator and artistic director of the La Rioja Festival in Spain.
As an exclusive SONY Classical artist, he has released solo albums as well as duo recordings with tenor Plácido Domingo and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Film composer John Williams has written two works for him for guitar: Rounds and Prayer for Peace.
Highlights of his 2025/2026 season include his return to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Riccardo Muti, the continuation of the premiere tour of Místico y Profano by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez with the Ottawa Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, and Pacific Symphony; the world premiere of a work for string quartet and guitar by Andrea Casarrubios with the Agarita Quartet, his new chamber project Spanish Night, which will premiere on a U.S. tour, and appearances with orchestras such as the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestre de Québec, and Argovia Philharmonic, among others.
Pablo Sainz-Villegas was born in La Rioja, Spain, and has been living in the United States since 2001. For the 2025/26 season, Pablo wears TOMBLACK.
