It is always a joy and an honor to be able to perform Filipino music overseas. It is even more meaningful to do so in Spain, a country with deep roots and heritage in classical guitar, as well as strong ties to our own culture and history.
Recently, four Filipino classical guitarists performed a series of concerts in Spain in the summer of 2025. The organization of these concerts was spearheaded by Adolfo Timuat, a distinguished Filipino guitar maker and flamenco guitarist based in Spain.
The lineup of guitarists are: Milette L. Zamora, a professor of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM); Carlo Antonio B. Juan, a winner of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists; Rafael L. Ronquillo, concert artist and one of the pioneers of the Department of Music at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM); and Normando M. Villas Jr., an active performer and educator and noted pillar of the guitar community of India and the Philippines.
The first stop was in the city of Madrid for the concert titled Gitarang Mestisahin, held at Centro de Filipinas in Madrid on June 21, 2025. This was organized by the Philippine Embassy in Spain, in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), to commemorate the 23rd Philippines-Spain Friendship Day.
Next is a three-day, back-to-back series of concerts held in the province of Jaén, the birthplace of the great Spanish guitarist, Andrés Segovia. On June 24, 2025, the guitarists performed solos and a trio against the beautiful view of the Castillo de Santisteban and Santuario de Santa María del Collado at the first concert, titled Guitarra y Leyenda.
Up next was La Guitarra de Filipinas, held on July 25 at the historic municipality of Úbeda, inside a 14th-century Jewish synagogue, the Synagoga del Agua. The finale of the series, titled “Guitarristas de Filipinas,” held on June 26, was set in Linares at the Casa-Museo Andrés Segovia.
From Centro de Filipinas in Madrid to the auditorium of the Casa-Museo Andrés Segovia, the guitarists presented a repertoire of Spanish and Filipino music. This includes works by Lucio San Pedro, Nicanor Abelardo, Antonio Molina, Bayani Mendoza de Leon, and Pedro Conception.
Apart from the positive feedback, some audiences were surprised at how beautiful Filipino guitar music sounded, which suggests a need for more exposure of Filipino music to the Western world. And to that, they say, ¡Pues, vamos! The pleasure is ours.
