Alfonso Aguirre Dergal

ABOUT ME

ALFONSO AGUIRRE DERGAL

holds a cum laude PhD in music from the University of Aveiro, a Master of Music degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, where he was also awarded the Performer’s Certificate “granted to students who demonstrate outstanding performing abilities”.

Alfonso has been a prizewinner in numerous national and international guitar competitions including the first prize at the Appalachian Guitar Competition (USA), and first prize at the upper division of the Concurso de Guitarra de Paracho (Mexico). He has also been a recipient other awards and scholarships including the Pedro Sarquis Merrewe Award, a full tuition scholarship from Yale University to complete graduate studies, and the FONCA-CONACYT scholarship award to complete PhD studies abroad.

He has been featured as soloist and as member of Duo Ditirambo in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, United States and Mexico in music festivals and venues such as the IV “Borguitar” Festival, XXV Festival Internacional des Cordes Pincées de Rabat, XXXII Festival Internacional de Música “Manuel de Falla”, II Festival Internacional de Guitarra Hospitalet de L’infant, V Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Ciudad de Caravaca”, XXIII Jornadas de Música Contemporánea de Segovia, Yale Guitar “Extravaganza” 2016, UK Internacional Guitar Series (USA), XVII Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Taxco, XXXIX Festival de Guitarra de Paracho, IX Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Ramón Noble”, XI Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Sonora, II Festival Nuntempa de Música Contemporánea, y el XXVIII Festival Cultural de Zacatecas, among others.

The Mexican guitarist Alfonso Aguirre Dergal is regularly invited as a soloist, teacher, and jury member at international guitar festivals, universities, and higher education centers in many countries in America, Europe, and Africa. He has been awarded in numerous prestigious classical guitar competitions in Mexico and the United States, obtaining several first prizes. He has recorded as a soloist with orchestra and as a chamber musician. The press has highlighted the delicacy of his gesture and the precision, sensitivity and passion that he transmits on stage.

Alfonso is doctor cum laude in music from the University of Aveiro. He has a Master of Music from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music from Eastman School of Music-University of Rochester, where he also earned a Performer’s Certificate.

He is currently a professor of guitar at the higher and postgraduate level at the Katarina Gurska Superior Center (Spain) and at the School of Music of the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas (Mexico).

Alfonso has been soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica “Cristobal Halffter”, Orquesta Ciudad de Segovia (Spain), Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco (Mexico), Cívica Filarmónica di Mendrisio (Switserland), American Wind Symphony Orchestra and the Northwest Louisiana State University Wind Ensemble (USA); orchestras with whom he has performed Concierto de Aranjuez, Fantasia para un gentilhombre (by J. Rodrigo), Concierto del Sur (by M. M. Ponce), Pieza de concierto para guitarra y orquesta de vientos (Enrique Santos), Concierto para guitarra y orquesta de vientos (Blas Galindo), Danzón Gran Vía (Flores Chaviano) and Ethereal (Mario Gosálvez Blanco).

He recorded Enrique Santos’ guitar concerto in the album Music of the Americas as a soloist of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. He also recorded the CD Perpetuum Mobile with his Dúo Ditirambo, which has been reviewed by the spanish press as “a great album… bright and elegant, with an evocative and melancholic mood that gives it immense beauty…” (Histéricas Grabaciones, Spain, 2016).

With his duo, he has premiered original works by composers such as Leonardo Coral, Fernando Buide del Real, Mario Gosálvez Blanco, Marisa Manchado, Carlos Alberto Vázquez, Claudia Herrerías, Flores Chaviano, Leticia Armijo and Claudia Herrerías.

His primary teachers include David Mozqueda, Nicholas Goluses, and Benjamin Verdery. While at Eastman he attended Paul O’Dette’s class on baroque performance practices. He has also taken master classes with Leo Brouwer, Manuel Barrueco, Pavel Steidl, Roberto Aussel, Eliot Fisk, Odair Assad, David Tenenbaum, Adam Holzman, Eduardo Fernández, Ivan Rijos, Raphaella Smits, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, among others.

Alfonso is a faculty member at the Centro Superior Katarina Gurska (Madrid, Spain) and at the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas (Mexico). His students have been awarded prizes in various solo guitar and chamber music competitions.

He currently lives in Segovia, Spain, with his wife and son.

DÚO DITIRAMBO

Duo Ditirambo is formed by violist Noelia Gómez and guitarist Alfonso Aguirre Dergal, both winners of numerous international prizes and awards individually. The duo was founded in 2008 while Noelia and Alfonso were completing their graduate studies at Yale University´s School of Music. Since then, the duo has received international accolades. Their performances include recitals as well as solo concerto appearances at music festivals, on concert series and TV broadcasts in various countries.

Dúo Ditirambo has performed in Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, United States and Mexico in venues such as IV “Borguitar” Festival, XXV Festival Internacional des Cordes Pincées de Rabat, II Festival Internacional de Guitarra Hospitalet de l’Infant, XXXII Festival Internacional de Música “Manuel de Falla”, V Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Ciudad de Caravaca”, XXIII Jornadas de Música Contemporánea de Segovia, XXV Festival International des Cordes Pincées de Rabat, Yale Guitar Extravaganza 2016, UK Internacional Guitar Series, XVII Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Taxco, XXXIX Festival de Guitarra de Paracho, IX Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Ramón Noble”, XI Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Sonora, II Festival Nuntempa de Música Contemporánea, XXVIII Festival Cultural de Zacatecas, among others.

The Duo has soloed in USA with the American Wind Smphony Orchestra conducted by Robert A. Boudreau and in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Segovia under conductor Álvaro Mendía in the Alcázar de Segovia (Segovia´s Castle).

The duo has premiered original works for this combination by composers such as Marisa Manchado, Carlos Alberto Vázquez, Mario Gosálvez Blanco, Fernando Buide del Real, Leonardo Coral, Flores Chaviano, Leticia Armijo and Claudia Herrerías, among others.

Their album Perpetuum Mobile has been reviewed as “a great album… bright and elegant, with an evocative and melancholic mood that gives it immense beauty…” (Histéricas Grabaciones, Spain, 2016).

in the media

Alfonso Aguirre Dergal moved the audience in the area with his amazingly talented and passionate interpretation

– South Padre Parade, TX, EEUU –

Aguirre is a sensitive musician, with an easy technique and delicately concerned with the sound of his instrument, as could be heard in the elegance of his phrasing.

– Levante Diary-EVM, Valencia –

With an extremely careful and nostalgic expressiveness… A truly moving performance from the beginning to end with an Allegro Solemne of great sonority and virtuosity.

– Criticism of Luis Suárez about concert in Festival Internacional de Guitarra de L´Hospitalet de L’ Infant –

[play] of mechanical virtuosity, very well executed by Alfonso Aguirre. He is a musician with a clear and sincere sound…

– El Adelantado, Segovia –