Ignacio CasatejadaTen string classical guitar

Ignacio Casatejada’s passion for music was materialized at age eleven, when he received his first Spanish guitar. The sound its strings trapped him so deeply that he decided to attend the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid. After surrendering to the technical ability of Narciso Yepes, he decided to continue his official guitar studies in La Vihuela School of Music. There he is taught by whom he considers his first professors, the composer Enrique Muñoz and the guitarist Francisco Hidalgo, who awaken his interest for the ten string classical guitar.

After leaving the official study program, he continues his upper level guitar classes with the favorite alumnus of Narciso Yepes and international solo artist Ismael Barambio. With him, Casatejada increase his inclination for the tone and style of the great Spanish guitar player. At the same time he begins to be interested in techniques which come from old music, jazz and ethnic styles. Juan M. Nieto, head department professor in old music in the Royal Conservatory of Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid, guides him in this adventure.

Later on, his education will be enriched when he qualifies for a scholarship to go to the University of Menendez Pelayo. There he attended classes given by Helmuth Rilling, Tomas Marco, Mariano Martin, Elistabeth Chojnacka, Daniel Vega and Dr. Martin Pezoldt, amongst others. His progressing skills with the strings will be recognized with works composed for him by authors like Manuel Martínez Ballarín (jazz-fusion), Félix Sierra Iturriaga (head of department professor in the Royal Conservatory of Madrid) and Enrique Muñoz (recognized contemporary music composer).

Besides his solo artist performances, he has participated in different formations. Several duets like that on guitar with Manuel de Val, with the piano player María José Ercilla and the American soprano Jenifer Thyssen. Also in other formations like the jazz-fusion instrumental group Ahina (They recorded the album Suite del agua); as lead part with the Central Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (Lexington, Kentucky, USA), under the direction of William Prinzing; the quintet Mundi Ensemble (Austin, Texas, USA); the Trio Trex; or with the Quartet Dowland, under the direction of Pablo Gastaminza.

Likewise, he participated in different recordings. Exposure was a work published in United Kingdom and produced by Recorded Work; whereas Zaragoza, el agua que nos lleva, was a record book presented and performed for the first time in the Mozart of Zaragoza Auditorium. Also interesting was his collaboration in the recording for the Austrian label Philartis of the Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Othello, accompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra of the City of Oviedo, under the direction of Friedrich Haider.

His artistic interests have driven him to a variety of projects. To mention, his participation in theatre and different audiovisual productions, including two important Spanish TV channels (TVE and Antena 3). All of the mentioned not forgetting his teaching work in various institutions. His main class volume is in John Dowland Music School, of which he is the director an associated co-founder. Through this institution he has created and directed the National Guitar Contest for Intermediate Level Players El Foro - John Dowland. This contest has excellent reception from the professors, students and critics abroad, and has unconditional support from renowned cultural and musical personalities.

Ignacio Castejada enjoys interpreting a wide variety of composers: “When I study or play at work, I try to make it mine in order to profound more in it, express it in a clear and sincere language that the audience will appreciate. In the last three years he has played a varied repertoire going from the Cantigas de Santa María de Alfonso X El Sabio, piece for lute of the English and Italian renaissance, early Spanish baroque, J. S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi (Concert in E Major for guitar and strings), Telemann, Doménico Scarlatti and David Kellner, to name a few.

In his last repertoire there is a special attention paid to more contemporary compositions by Latin American authors like: Heitor Villa-Lobos, Agustín Barrios, Antonio Lauro, Leo Brouwer o Joao Texeira Guimaräes. Of course, that of Spanish authors like Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Antonio Ruiz Pipó or Joaquín Rodrigo, including the Concierto de Aranjuez.

He also has performed compositions of now day Spanish authors like like La Danza del Agua, for jazz quartet and ten string guitar, by Manuel Martínez; Acuarela, for piano and guitar, by Félix Sierra; or Surcos, for guitar, by Enrique Muñoz.