ARTISTS
Javier Echecopar
Peruvian musician, concert artist, composer, and researcher, Javier Echecopar is a prominent figure in Peruvian and Latin American music. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Peru, the École Normale de Musique de Paris (UNESCO scholarship), and the Guildhall School of Music in London (British Council grant). His work bridges traditional and academic music, especially through his knowledge of colonial Baroque and folk traditions.
He has received numerous national and international awards, performed worldwide, and is often invited as a lecturer and jury member. He has recorded over twenty albums, DVDs, and documentaries, and published a similar number of music books featuring Baroque, classical, and traditional repertoires.
Beyond performance, he has led institutions dedicated to music research and cultural exchange. He has served as UNESCO-Paris correspondent, advisor to the Episcopal Commission for Cultural Heritage, director of the School of Music at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and Cultural Attaché in Spain.
His upcoming project involves recording musical works at iconic locations in Peru, using a guitar crafted by luthier Elvis Pajares.
Rodrigo Herrera
Rodrigo Herrera is a Mexican classical guitarist. Born in Mexico City, he began his studies at the Universidad Veracruzana. He continued his artistic training in Italy with Paolo Pegoraro at the Francisco Tárrega Academy. He graduated under the guidance of Stefano Viola at the “Agostino Steffani” Conservatory in Castelfranco Veneto, further refining his skills in masterclasses with Oscar Ghiglia, Pavel Steidl, Stefano Grondona, and Carlo Marchione.
He has performed as a soloist and with the Trio Nahual in Mexico, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain, and Peru. With the trio, he won 12 first prizes in national and international competitions, receiving distinctions such as the Medal of the President of the Italian Senate (2012) and the Diploma of Merit from the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (2008). The trio has premiered several works dedicated to them by Italian composer Marco De Biasi, including a concerto for trio and orchestra.
Rodrigo has taught at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and the National University of Music in Lima. He currently teaches at the Segovia Guitar Academy and the Si Nota music school.
His students have received awards in major competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America and the Taxco International Competition (Mexico).
In 2023, he began a collaboration with luthier Elvis Pajares for the design and development of high-level concert guitars.
Damjan Bučić
Damjan Bučić is a Croatian classical guitarist and pedagogue. He earned his Master’s degree at the Zagreb Music Academy under Professor Istvan Roemer and continued his advanced studies at the Segovia Guitar Academy in Italy. He later obtained his Master of Arts concert diploma at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, studying with Professor Paolo Pegoraro. He was also a scholarship recipient from the City of Rijeka.
As a performer, Damjan has appeared in solo and chamber music concerts across Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. He has participated in masterclasses with renowned guitarists such as Marcin Dylla, Pavel Steidl, Carlo Marchione, and Zoran Dukić.
Damjan is also an accomplished educator. His students have won numerous awards at national and international competitions, including events in Germany, Italy, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, and Croatia. For his outstanding teaching achievements, he has been honored twice by the Croatian Ministry of Education and is a recipient of the prestigious “Oscar of Knowledge” and a two-time winner of the “Professor Balthazar” award from the City of Zagreb.
Janoš Jurinčič
Janoš Jurinčič began his guitar studies at the Glasbena Matica music school under the guidance of Maestro Marko Feri. He earned his Bachelor's degree in 2013 under the guidance of Professor Pier Luigi Corona and completed his Master’s degree with honors at the “G. Tartini” Conservatory in Trieste. He later pursued advanced studies at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, under the direction of Marco Tamayo and Matthias Seidel.
He has attended masterclasses with renowned artists such as Lorenzo Micheli, Marco Socías, Aniello Desiderio, Zoran Dukić, Dusan Bogdanović, and Roland Dyens. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and across Europe.
Since 2015, he has formed a permanent duo with Maestro Marko Feri, focusing on a repertoire of transcriptions for two guitars, especially works originally composed for keyboard by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Debussy. Their interpretations have been featured in international festivals and recordings.
Jurinčič has also recorded for Italian and Croatian national radio and television (RAI and HRT), and has received awards in several classical and contemporary music competitions. He currently teaches guitar at public music schools in Sežana and Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia.
