Tamayo was born in La Havana, Cuba, were he started to play guitar at the age of three under his father tuition. He studied with Antonio Alberto Rodríguez and Leo Brouwer, Harold Gramatges, and later in Europe at the University of Music in Munich (Germany, class of J. Clerch), and at the Mozarteum University of Arts in Salzburg were he studied with Eliot Fisk (guitar), Rainner Schmid (violinist), and Anthony Spiri

Reviews on Tamayo’s CD Naxos 8.555887

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

marco tamayo plays cuban guitar music:

With so many guitarists recording the classical guitar standards , this is a refreshing album with largely unknown but also very interesting guitar compositions which are pleasant and substantial. The pieces give a good overview of guitar composers from cuba, played by Marco Tamayo, who is refreshingly musical and technically on top of his playing.

Guitar Music from Cuba: Cancion de Cuna - Guitar Collection
Marco Tamayo guitar
8.555887

"A fascinating insight into the influences on Cuban guitar music...Marco Tamayo proves himself to be a fine guitarist. His playing is rather understated which seems to assist the mood of the music, with more subtlety than flamboyance, more sensitivity than grit; unaffected rather than pretentious. Tamayo leaves the listener with a real sense of 'a soloist at one' with this repertoire from his homeland... moody, reflective and accessible... No problem with the sound quality here and the release has interesting and informative annotation. An exceedingly well performed release from Naxos."

Michael Cookson, musicweb.uk.net

A brilliantly colourful recital of contemporary Cuban guitar music, performed by one of today's leading South American guitarists.

The works in this intriguing programme constitute some of the very best in contemporary writing for guitar. They range from three compositions by one of Cuba's most important contemporary composers, Leo Brouwer, to the 'Cantos Yoruba de Cuba', a set of nine pieces by one of his contemporaries, Hector Angulo. Based on melodies attributed to the Yorubans, Nigerian slaves who came to Cuba, the settings by Angulo are thinned-out texturally to provide the listener with easy access to their beautiful, simple melodies.

One of the most accomplished and sought-after classical guitarists of his generation, Marco Tamayo has received much praise for his brilliant technique, artistry and exceptionally warm tone and expressive interpretations on the guitar.

Jan 2004

(...) Marco Tamayo introduces a composer new to me: Ñico Rojas, who successfully absorbs Cuban popular style into the frame of the classical guitar; the exuberance of Guajira a mi madre makes an excellent start to the CD, and anyone playing just the first track would want to buy it at once. The Brouwer tracks are played with a fine tone and a sensitive understanding, and I think are the best things of the CD. The tone in “Un día de Noviembre” is beautifully produced, and together with the player's highly expressive lyricism makes a perfect example of how even over-played Brouwer can be made utterly compelling. (...)

Colin Cooper - Classical Guitar Magazine September 2001