CONSUELO NAVAS

Born in Seville. After completing advanced studies in the classical guitar at the Conservatorio Superior de Música of her native city, she developed her interest in early music, attending courses given by important performers such as José Miguel Moreno, Hopkinson Smith, Konrad Junghänel, Paul O’Dette, Pat O’Brien and Juan Carlos Rivera. With Rivera at the Conservatorio Superior de Sevilla she followed advanced studies in early plucked string instruments, succeeding with the highest grades as well as honours.

She has given numerous concerts both as a soloist and as a member of several early music ensembles. She has made a number of recordings, including “Armoniosi Concerti sopra la Chitarra Spagnuola” alongside Juan Carlos Rivera.

Currently she is a member of the ensembles Mens Innovata and Armoniosi Concerti.

 

JUAN MIGUEL NIETO

Born in Madrid, where he took advanced studies in classical guitar at the Conservatorio Superior de Música with Pedro Moreno and Demetrio Ballesteros. He completed his studies later with teachers including Leo Brouwer, Angelo Gilardino, Hopkinson Smith, José Miguel Moreno, Louis Jambou, Rolf Lislevand and Paul O’Dette. In the field of early music, meanwhile, he undertook studies at the Conservatorio Superior de Música of Seville with Juan Carlos Rivera, before obtaining the grade of Professor in that speciality.

He has given concerts as a soloist, with orchestra and with diverse instrumental groups, principally in the area of early music (Folías de España, Capilla Real de Madrid and Cuarteto Brunetti).

He is a Professor of plucked early instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque in the Conservatorio Profesional de Música "A. Arias" of Madrid.

JUAN CARLOS RIVERA

Born in Seville, he studied classical guitar there with América Martinez in the Conservatorio Superior de Música. Now regarded as one of the best-known Spanish early music performers, his teachers have included Hopkinson Smith, José Miguel Moreno, Paul O’Dette and Pat O’Brien.

He has given numerous concerts all over the world, at international early music festivals such as those in Bruges, Utrecht, Caen, Saintes, Barcelona, Los Siglos de Oro of Caja Madrid and the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza in Granada as well as in concert halls that include the Auditórium Nacional de España, National Library of Washington, Opéra Comique of Paris, Teatro Real of Madrid, the Vienna Konzerthaus and many others.

Among his recordings there's a number of albums featuring Rivera as a soloist on the vihuela, theorbo and baroque guitar, as accompanist for the singers Marta Almajano and Carlos Mena, as the continuo player for the Al Ayre Español and as a member of Poema Harmonico. He is the conductor for the ensemble La Correnta (which concentrates on Spanish Renaissance and Baroque repertoire) and Armoniosi Concerti.

He holds the professorship in plucked early instruments in the Conservatorio Superior de Música of Seville.