Andrés Segovia, a renowned Spanish musician of the twentieth century, is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Despite his uncle and aunt’s desire for him to become a lawyer, Segovia’s passion for the guitar led him to pursue a career in music. From a young age, he taught himself to play the guitar and showcased his remarkable talent in a public performance as a teenager. This experience ignited his desire to share classical guitar music with audiences worldwide. Collaborating with composers and musicians from around the globe, Segovia played on major stages across the world, leaving a lasting impact on the guitar community. His influence extended beyond his students, as he indirectly taught and inspired thousands of guitarists, earning him the title of the father of classical guitar.
Quick Facts
- Andrés Segovia Torres
- Died At Age: 94
- Family: Spouse/Ex-: Emilia Magdalena Corral Sancho, children: Carlos Andrés Segovia
- Guitarists
- Spanish Men
- Died on: June 2, 1987
- Place of death: Madrid, Spain
- Cause of Death: Heart Attack
Childhood & Early Life
Andrés Segovia was born on February 21, 1893 in the town of Linares, Andalusia, one of Spain’s autonomous regions. At the age of two, he was sent to live with his childless uncle and aunt, Eduardo and Maria, in Villacarillo. It was during this time that he started playing the guitar, as his uncle would sing songs to him and pretend to strum an imaginary guitar in his lap. When he turned ten, his uncle and aunt moved to Granada, where he received his formal education and acquired his first guitar.
Career
At the age of 16, Segovia performed publicly for the first time at the Centro Artistico in Granada in 1909. He later gave his first professional concert in Madrid, where he played compositions by Francisco Tárrega and his own guitar transcriptions of J.S. Bach. Over the next few years, he played at various concerts in Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, and even toured South America in 1919. In 1923, he played his first concert in Mexico, and in 1928, he embarked on his first tour of America, where he met the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. Segovia continued to perform, record, and tour throughout Europe and the USA for the next 30 years of his life.
Major Works
Segovia is credited with dignifying the classical guitar as a legitimate concert instrument. He influenced a generation of classical guitarists and popularized the instrument through technological advances such as recording, radio, and air travel. He was also one of the first artists to endorse the use of nylon strings instead of gut strings, which improved the stability of intonation.
Awards & Achievements
Throughout his career, Segovia received numerous awards and honorary degrees from prestigious universities. In 1974, he was awarded the Danish Sonning Award, and in 1981, he was honored by King Juan Carlos I of Spain with the 1st hereditary title of ‘Marqués de Salobreña’ in recognition of his contributions to music and the arts. He also received the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 1985 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.
Personal Life & Legacy
Segovia had multiple marriages and relationships throughout his life. He married Adelaida Portillo in 1918, Paquita Madriguera, a pianist, in 1935, and had a relationship with the Brazilian singer and guitarist Olga Praquer Coelho in 1944. In 1962, he married Emilia Magdalena Corral Sancho, and they had a son named Carlos Andrés Segovia in 1970. Andrés Segovia passed away on June 2, 1987 of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain. He is buried at Casa Museo de Linares in Andalusia.