11 Facts About Antonio Lauro

Antonio Lauro was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the guitar in the 20th century.

Antonio Lauro's father Antonio Lauro Ventura, an Italian immigrant, was a barber who could sing and play the guitar so he taught his son what he could, but died when Antonio was still a child.

From 1933, Antonio Lauro studied with Raul Borges, and was introduced to the classical guitar repertoire.

Antonio Lauro was particularly attracted to the myriad colonial parlour valses venezolanos created in the previous century by accomplished national composers such as Ramon Delgado Palacios.

Antonio Lauro occasionally experimented with modern compositional techniques, but most of his guitar music remains essentially on the Calle Real or "main street," an expression used by musicians of Lauro's generation to refer to a straight and direct route, without distracting harmonic detours.

Antonio Lauro later shrugged off the experience, telling his friends that prison was a normal part of life for the Venezuelan man of his generation.

Antonio Lauro had continued composing even in prison, and after his release immediately returned to performing with a pioneering professional classical guitar trio, the freshly formed Trio Raul Borges.

Antonio Lauro was appointed professor of guitar at several distinguished schools including the Juan Jose Landaeta Conservatory, and was named president of the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra where he played the horn.

The works of Antonio Lauro have long been very popular with guitarists worldwide, yet there have been few recordings devoted exclusively to him.

John Williams is quoted as having referred to Antonio Lauro as being the "Strauss of the guitar".

Additionally, Antonio Lauro's masterpieces have been the core of studies, workshops and Masters in universities all around the World.