Bolivian Guitarist Marcos Puña Comes to Connecticut.

The New England Guitar Society's International Performer series concerts will continue with guitarist Marcos Puña on Saturday, April 8th at 8 pm at the Milford Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Avenue, Milford, CT. Born in Bolivia, Marcos received multiple first prizes in international competitions, performed throughout the world and released more than five CDs and DVDs. His Milford program on April 8th will include virtuoso guitar favorites by Granados, York, Dyens, Moreno-Torroba, Chopin and his arrangements of Bolivian traditionals by Eduardo Caba. On Sunday April 9, at 2:00 PM he will be at the Milford Center for the Arts, for a "Meet the Artist" reception and master-class.

The New England Guitar Society is established to create a nurturing environment for classical guitarists to meet, share ideas, perform, compose, teach and grow as musicians. Its mission is to increase the public interest in classical guitar, to ultimately create future players and audiences.

Virtuoso guitarist Marcos Puña was awarded the first-prize in many national and international guitar competitions including the Miguel Llobet (Barcelona 2011), Zarautz (Spain 2007), César Cortinas (Uruguay 2003), Juventudes Musicales (Uruguay 1996) and Tarija (Bolivia 1994). He was awarded by this country with the "Medal of Cultural Merit Nilo Soruco" (2012) and by Bolivian residents in USA as "outstanding Bolivian" (2012).

He was born in Oruro, Bolivia in 1977. Marcos began his studies in his native country where he received classes from Gentaro Takada, Gunther Vilar and Pirai Vaca. Attracted by the famous Uruguayan Guitar School, at 18 years he moved to this country where he studied at the Conservatory of Montevideo, graduating with honors just four years later. He studied with the eminent Uruguayan maestros, Eduardo Fernández, Mario Payssé and the legendary educator, Abel Carlevaro.

Other famous guitarists who contributed to his musical education are Eduardo Isaac (Argentina), Eduardo Baranzano (Uruguay - Spain). Marcos obtained two postgraduate degrees from the prestigious "Conservatorio del Liceo de Barcelona", the first in classical guitar and the second one in flamenco guitar, where he studied under the direction of Guillem Perez-Quer and Manuel Granados, respectively.

After giving his first concert at the age of sixteen, he performed in 45 cities in many countries such us Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Panama, England, America, Spain, Germany, Austria and USA.

In addition to the DVD Ten string guitar, his recordings include the following CDs: Spanish Concert, South American Journey, Bolivia, Desserts of the World, Indian and European songs, Live and Iberoamérica, two last recorded in successful concerts in Montevideo and Madrid.

He taught in several Uruguayan and Bolivian institutions and conducted master-classes and lectures in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Spain and U.S.A. He is currently teaching at the National Conservatory of Music in La Paz.

His book entitled "The Classical Guitar Technical Evolution" is a contribution to the knowledge of the evolution of the guitar techniques and performers and of the methodology of the Modern Guitar in the 20th century.

His guitar was maked by the argentinian maker Omar Pannunzio, and he is artist of Royal Classics strings (Spain).

For more information, please visit: http://marcospunaguitarra.blogspot.com/. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors, $15 for MAC members and free to anyone under 18 and are available online atwww.milfordarts.org or by calling 203-878-6647, Tuesday- Friday, 10- 5pm.

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