Alí Arango is one of the most prominent guitarists of his generation. With virtuosity at the service of musicality and a balanced mix of subtlety and expressive strength, he has captivated all kinds of audiences and juries. He has won 23 prizes in international classical guitar competitions, including some of the most important in the world, such as the Francisco Tárrega International Classical Guitar Competition, the Andrés Segovia International Classical Guitar Competition, and the Alhambra International Guitar Competition.
He was awarded the TRUJAMÁN 2019 Prize for being one of the most recognized Latin guitarists with the greatest international projection of his generation. This prize has also been given to artists such as Pepe Romero and Leo Brouwer.
«Since he was awarded in the Havana Guitar Competition, being very young, he has maintained a very high level as a soloist. I still remember his interpretations of my Sonata, Elegíaco Concert and the record of my work Los negros brujos se divierten.»
Leo BROUWER
He has recorded two albums for Naxos, Laureates Series; the CD Tárrega and Mangoré Meet Chopin in Havana for Contrastes Records; Volume I of Pyrophorus Guitar Duo with JSM Guitar Records; and Homage to Paco de Lucía with Barcelona Guitar Trio.
2 Several composers have dedicated works to him, such as «Paisaje Cubano con Tristeza» by Leo Brouwer and Study No. 4 «For the Ring Finger» by Joaquín Clerch. He has performed the world premieres of three works by Brouwer (commissioned by the composer himself): «Paisaje Cubano con Tristeza,» «Gismontiana,» and «Ritual and Festive Dances» Vol. 1.
He has performed in prestigious concert halls such as the Palau de la Música Catalana, Pierre Boulez Saal, Palau de la Música Valencia, Manuel de Falla Auditorium, Kennedy Center, National Theatre of Cuba, and more.
As a composer, his catalog includes works for solo guitar, duos for guitar and other instruments, chamber music, and music for video art and documentaries.
Alí Arango is a multifaceted artist who has ventured into music production, photography, videography, and graphic design. He personally produces most of his videos, documentaries, recordings, sheet music, designs, and websites.
He has recorded two albums for Naxos in the «Laureates Series»; the CD TARREGA AND MANGORÉ MEET CHOPIN IN HAVANA for Contrastes Record and the Vol I of PYROPHORUS GUITAR DUO with the JSM Guitar Records label.
Several composers have dedicated works to him such as «Cuban Landscape with Sadness» Leo Brouwer and «Study Nº4 For the Ring Finger» Joaquín Clerch.
He has made the World Premiere of three works by Brouwer (commissioned by the author himself): «Paisaje Cubano con Tristeza» (solo guitar); «Gismontiana» (for four guitars and orchestra of strings) and Series Nº1 of the «Ritual and Festive Dances» (for solo guitar).
«Alí Arango, despite his youth, is a deep artist with a fine intuitive sense, he does not get carried away by the unnecessary rumblings of a poorly oriented virtuosity, but rather faithful to the intimate connection with the artistic fact, he is able to reveal masterfully the deep secrets that underlie the work. It is a very rare mixture of maturity, talent and technical power. His sui generis way of interpreting can transport us to areas of the spirit that we don’t even suspect exist.»
Antonio Rodriguez Delgado
He is the founder, along with Josué Fonseca, of Pyrophorus Guitar Duo, where Arango explores the fusion of cuban music, jazz, and contemporary music through original compositions written for this format.
Since 2020, he has been a member of the internationally acclaimed and highly successful Barcelona Guitar Trio, a multifaceted ensemble that spans genres from Classical Music to Flamenco, including Jazz. With regular performances at the Palau de la Música Catalana and constant touring, the trio performs over 100 concerts annually. Some of their videos have accumulated over 25 million views
PYROPHORUS RECORDS is a space designed and built by Alí Arango for creative purposes, equipped with high-quality gear that allows excellent results in solo instrument recordings, small ensembles, vocals, and video productions.
Alhambra Guitars, Sagework Guitar Supports, and D’Addario sponsor Alí Arango.