Guitar Romance

Guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas is hailed as “the soul of the Spanish guitar.” His passionate performances, filled with flair and emotional depth, captivate audiences. Don’t miss this evocative evening showcasing the finest of classical guitar.

Scott Speck conductor
Pablo Sáinz Villegas classical guitar

Falla Suite No.1 from The Three-Cornered Hat
Piazzolla Tangazo
Rodrigo Soleriana, Suite for Orchestra
Falla Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo
Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez

Related Events:
Go Behind the Music with Lunch n’ Learn | Apr 15
Eager to learn more? Attend the FREE Lunch n’ Learn event where Music Director Scott Speck and special guest will share insights and anecdotes to enhance your enjoyment of their upcoming performance. Register here!

RELATED LINKS
Read Pablo Sáinz Villegas’s bio
• Check out Pablo’s social accounts: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify


Subscribers get the best seats, at the best price.
Learn more here.

This concert is part of the following packages:
Premier (8 concerts), Super Pops (5 concerts), Masterworks (5 concerts)

Event Sponsors

Pablo Sainz-Villegas has been praised by the international press for his "virtuous and moving
performance, with an irresistible exuberance and a range of bright colors" 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 inMoscow, 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 performance 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.

Guitar Romance

Fri 04.17.26 | 7:30 pm

About

Guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas is hailed as “the soul of the Spanish guitar.” His passionate performances, filled with flair and emotional depth, captivate audiences. Don’t miss this evocative evening showcasing the finest of classical guitar.

Scott Speck conductor
Pablo Sáinz Villegas classical guitar

Falla Suite No.1 from The Three-Cornered Hat
Piazzolla Tangazo
Rodrigo Soleriana, Suite for Orchestra
Falla Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo
Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez

Related Events:
Go Behind the Music with Lunch n’ Learn | Apr 15
Eager to learn more? Attend the FREE Lunch n’ Learn event where Music Director Scott Speck and special guest will share insights and anecdotes to enhance your enjoyment of their upcoming performance. Register here!

RELATED LINKS
Read Pablo Sáinz Villegas’s bio
• Check out Pablo’s social accounts: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify


Subscribers get the best seats, at the best price.
Learn more here.

This concert is part of the following packages:
Premier (8 concerts), Super Pops (5 concerts), Masterworks (5 concerts)

Michigan Arts & Culture Council
National Endowment for the Arts