“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, Zürich 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 collaborative recordings with tenor Plácido Domingo and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Film composer John Williams has written two works for him, Rounds and Prayer for Peace. In spring 2027, he will release a new album with the Agarita ensemble, featuring world premieres and newly commissioned works by Latin American and American composers.
Highlights of his 2026/27 season include a solo tour across Spain, with performances at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, the Palau de la Música in Valencia, as well as in Tenerife, Bilbao, Zaragoza, and Gran Canaria, among others. He will also return to perform with the Spanish National Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, alongside two tours across the United States and South America. In addition, he will make debuts with the Dresden Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra, and the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
