Juan Falú with special guest Federico Díaz
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In his dual role as composer and artist, Juan Falú is a cornerstone of Argentinean folk music. He obtained the prestigious National Music Award since 2000 to 2010, and has been named "outstanding artist" repeatedly by the music press in Argentina. His music for guitar recreates the freshness and inventiveness of Argentinean folk rhythms, and many of his songs are already established within the repertoire of the most outstanding Argentinean folk musicians. As an interpreter, Juan Falú employs his vast knowledge of the different Argentinean folk rhythms, and displays an innate command of the artistry of improvisation. Add to this combination his natural charisma, and you have a recital in which each song is delivered in a unique form. In reference to his improvisational skills, he has received praise from different musicians. The accomplished classical guitarist Eduardo Fernandez has called him "a real time composer." He has toured North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and has offered concerts in prestigious halls in more than thirty countries.
Several of his recordings are considered among the best recordings of the year, as noted in the Argentinean and international press that specializes in guitar music. Some of his prolific musical compositions have been edited in Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, and France. Juan Falú remains a vital musical force in his community, where he directs the festival Guitars of the World, considered the largest international event in its genre. He also teaches in the Manuel de Falla Conservatory, in Buenos Aires, where he has created the first curricula for Folklore and Tango.
On December 2014 Juan Falú was appointed as Person of cultural merit in the City of Buenos Aires, in recognition of his active participation and influence on popular culture. He was awarded for creating projects that encourage and spread folklore and different regional genres.
Besides being the author of numberless compositions, in 2003 he had a role on the creation of the course of studies of tango and folklore, which is taught at the Conservatory of Music for Higher Education Manuel de Falla. He is also the director of the festival Guitarras del Mundo (Guitars of the World) that takes place in all the provinces of Argentina since 1995 and gathers interpreters of tens of countries of America, Europe, Asia and Africa. This festival was named as “of cultural interest” by the Argentine Secretary of Culture and Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Born in Mendoza, Argentina, Federico Díaz is an upcoming versatile musician of the new generation of guitarists with a multi-faceted career as a performing artist, arranger and composer in the Classical and Argentinian music worlds. His performances have taken him to distinguished festivals and concert halls across the US, Europe and Latin America. His passion for chamber music lead him to collaborate with musicians such as Lionel Cottet, Daniel Binelli, Juan Falú, Bruno Cavallaro, Juan Pablo Navarro, among others. He has recorded for Sony Classical and Epsa Music. Federico studied at prestigious institutions such as National University of Cuyo, University Mozarteum Salzburg, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, and Manhattan School of Music. His former teachers include Eliot Fisk, Ricardo Gallén and David Starobin. Currently, he is finishing a Doctor´s Degree in Performance, at the Graduate Center of City University of New York, under the guidance of Frederic Hand.
