Oskar Ghiglia Italian guitarist Date of Birth: 13.08.1938 Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Artistic Influences
2. Education and Accomplishments
3. Collaborative Performances
4. Recordings and Repertoire

Early Life and Artistic Influences

Oscar Ghiglia was born on August 13, 1938, in Livorno, Italy. He was the grandson of painter Oscar Ghiglia and the son of artist Valentino Ghiglia. As a child, Ghiglia initially aspired to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a painter. A pivotal moment in his life came when his father handed him a guitar to pose with for a portrait. The young Ghiglia was captivated by the instrument, and his desire to play music was ignited.

Education and Accomplishments

Ghiglia pursued his musical education at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, graduating in 1962. Simultaneously, he studied under the tutelage of legendary guitarist Andrés Segovia at the Accademia Chigiana and Segovia's own school in Santiago de Compostela from 1958 to 1963. He also received lessons from Alirio Díaz. Ghiglia's exceptional talent was recognized when he won the guitar competition in Santiago de Compostela and the Radio et Télévision Française competition in Paris in 1963. The latter victory earned him a grant for a one-year course in music theory at the Schola Cantorum under the guidance of Jacques Chailley.

From 1964 to 1965, Ghiglia embarked on his first major concert tour, performing in the United States and Japan. He also served as an assistant in Segovia's class at the University of California, Berkeley. Recognizing the significance of his mentor's legacy, Ghiglia inherited Segovia's class at the Accademia Chigiana in 1976 and held the position of Professor of Guitar at the Basel Academy of Music from 1983 to 2004. Additionally, he established the guitar competition in Gargnano.

Collaborative Performances

Ghiglia collaborated with renowned musicians throughout his career, including flutists Jean-Pierre Rampal and Julius Baker, violinists Franco Gulli, Salvatore Accardo, and Régis Pasquier, singers Victoria de los Ángeles and John McCollum, and the Cleveland Quartet.

Recordings and Repertoire

Ghiglia's extensive discography encompasses works by Spanish (Joaquín Turina, Federico Mompou, Manuel Ponce, Manuel de Falla), French (Albert Roussel, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Ohana), and Italian (Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco) composers, as well as music from the Baroque era (Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Jean-Philippe Rameau).