Classical Guitarist from Costa Rica, Álvaro Miranda, Records Five Videos In the GSI Showroom.

Recently, we had a new guest performer in our showroom. Álvaro Miranda is a classical guitarist from Costa Rica, where he studied with Jorge Aguilar and Sergio Carrera. From 2014 to 2017, Álvaro moved to Mexico where he continued his guitar education in the class of Juan Carlos Laguna. In recent years, he received virtual lessons with Denis Azabagić and Carlo Marchione, and now Álvaro studies online with Paolo Pegoraro in the Segovia Guitar Academy.

In 2021, Álvaro became one of the official RC artists recognized by RC Strings. Alvaro is also a prize-winner of many classical guitar competitions, such as the Florida Guitar Foundation Guitar Competition, the National Guitar Competition in Costa Rica, the Latin American Guitar Festival in Chicago, and the "Salzburg and Amsterdam" International Music Competition.

Álvaro recorded five videos while visiting GSI. His recording session started with "Sonata, K.208/L.426" by Domenico Scarlatti (arranged by Manuel Barrueco). For this video, Álvaro picked the newest model from the Vicente Carrillo workshop - 2021 Vicente Carrillo "Maestro Double Top" CD/CD/AR. This classical guitar has a Nomex double-top designed under the supervision of Gernot Wagner - one of the founders of the double-top school.

For his second video, Álvaro chose a 1973 Jose Ramirez "1a" CD/CSAR - This vintage Ramirez guitar is especially easy to play, thanks to a replaced (thicker) fingerboard that brings the action down much lower than otherwise, providing a very comfortable setup. On this guitar, Álvaro recorded the second movement, "Copla" from the "Sonatina Meridional" by Mexican composer, Manuel Ponce.

Next, Álvaro played the first movement from the "Sonata, Op. 61" by Spanish composer, Joaquín Turina. Álvaro picked a guitar made in Spain - 2021 Mario Aracama SP/CO. Every Aracama guitar has a different and unique aesthetic design, but all of them have one thing in common - they're all built using traditional Spanish construction methods.

While in our showroom, Álvaro also recorded "Prelude No. 5" by Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. In this video, you can hear Álvaro playing on a 2020 Vladimir Druzhinin CD/AR. Just a look at this classical guitar reveals a very tasteful and skillfully executed style that is highlighted in his classic rosette, a beautiful selection of materials, and elegantly carved headstock.

Álvaro finished his session at GSI, with a recording of "Tres Apuntes (Three Sketches)" by Leo Brouwer on a 2022 Andrea Tacchi "Homage to the Spanish School" SP/CY. This guitar is a special treat from Andrea Tacchi who was inspired to build for us a guitar he's calling his "Homage to the Spanish School", which really goes back to the origins of the modern guitar in the mid- to late-nineteenth century and especially during its golden age in the early decades of the twentieth, particularly in the work of the makers from the early Madrid school. Soundwise, this guitar has elements of the classic "Tacchi" sound - a great variety of timbral colors, polyphonic clarity, excellent volume, punchy attack, etc, but does have an earthy, "Spanish" quality to it that is unique to this guitar.

Check out Álvaro's GSI videos below!