Pablo Sáinz-Villegas Comes to the Smothers Theatre

Worldwide sensation Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas will perform in Smothers Theatre at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.

Tickets, starting at $25, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu.

Praised as "the soul of the Spanish guitar", Sáinz-Villegas has become a worldwide sensation known as this generation's great guitarist and has been acclaimed by the international press as the successor of Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture in the world. With his "virtuosic playing characterized by irresistible exuberance" (New York Times), he displays a passionate, emotive, and open-hearted approach to the classic instrument. Sáinz-Villegas returns to Pepperdine after winning the coveted gold medal at the inaugural Parkening International Guitar Competition in 2006.

Plácido Domingo hailed him as "the master of the guitar" from the beginning of their multiple collaborations together. They most recently released Volver, a duo album with Sony Classical and their performances have taken place on unique stages around the world such as the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid to an audience of over 85,000 people, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and on a floating stage on the Amazon River televised internationally for millions.

He is one of the most acclaimed soloists by prestigious conductors, orchestras, and festivals. In 2019 Pablo made his debut with the Chicago Symphony and he was a special guest at the tribute concert for Plácido Domingo at Guadalajara's stadium in Mexico. As a solo recitalist, he performed for the first time at the Harris Theater in Chicago, at San Francisco Performances, and at Boston's Celebrity Series. He also continued touring with his trio band along with a special presentation this year at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York.

Sáinz-Villegas has appeared on some of the world's most prominent stages including the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Musikverein in Vienna and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. During his last season, he played at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago to an audience of 11,000 people and highlights his past international tours with orchestras including the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the National Orchestra of Spain, and the New Zealand Symphony. The success of his performances has translated into repeated invitations from conductors such as Juanjo Mena, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Carlos Kalmar, and Alondra de la Parra.

Regularly invited to perform at corporate and governmental events, he has played at special events for the Real Madrid Foundation and on several occasions before members of the Spanish Royal Family as well as other heads of state and international leaders such as the Dalai Lama.

As an active recording artist, his solo album Americano quickly made its debut in the top 15 on their charts under the Harmonia Mundi label. He also recorded the famed three concerti by Joaquín Rodrigo with the National Orchestra of Spain. As a passionate promoter of the development of new repertoire, he has made numerous world premieres including the first composition for guitar by five-time Academy Award-winner John Williams.

Sáinz-Villegas was inspired to take guitar lessons at age six and gave his first public performance at just seven years old. Over the years, he accomplished an impressive collection of over 30 international awards, including the Segovia Award which he won at age 15, and the coveted gold medal at the inaugural Parkening International Guitar Competition.

As a lifelong dreamer, educator, and philanthropist, he founded 2006 the non-profit project "The music without borders legacy", with the mission of bringing music to humanize people's environment and to promote understanding among different cultures. These values are correspondingly instilled in communities worldwide as part of his Artist-In-Residence collaborations with orchestras and festivals. Through his various initiatives, he has shared his music with more than 35,000 children in Spain, Mexico, and the United States.

Tickets may be purchased by calling the Center for the Arts Box Office at (310) 506-4522 from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and two hours before curtain time. Tickets to all events are also available online at: arts.pepperdine.edu/tickets/

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from over 1,000 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

The Center for the Arts is located on the Pepperdine University campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA. Parking is available during performances next to Smothers Theatre for a fee and in the Theme Tower lot with a shuttle service at no charge. All programs and artists are subject to change.

For more information about this performance and other Center for the Arts performances and exhibitions, visit arts.pepperdine.edu. For information about current health and safety protocols at the Center for the Arts, visit: arts.pepperdine.edu/visit/

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