José Tomás facts for kids
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José Tomás Pérez Sellés (born August 26, 1934, in Alicante, Spain – died August 7, 2001) was a famous Spanish classical guitarist and a very important teacher. He taught many guitarists from all over the world. José Tomás greatly influenced how classical guitar was played in the second half of the 1900s.
Contents
About José Tomás
Early Life and Training
José Tomás began his music studies with Óscar Esplá. He later changed Esplá's piano music, called Levante, so it could be played on the guitar. He also found and changed another unknown work by Esplá, Tempo di Sonata, for the guitar. This sonata was first written for the harp, and Tomás performed it for the first time in 1978.
Tomás first taught himself to play the guitar. Then, he continued his studies with well-known guitarists like Regino Sainz de la Maza, Emilio Pujol, and Alirio Díaz. Alirio Diaz suggested that Tomás go to study with Andrés Segovia in Siena, Italy. After Siena, he continued his training with Segovia in 1958 and 1959 at a music program called Música en Compostela. He even worked as Segovia's assistant there.
A Dedicated Teacher
In 1961, José Tomás won first prize at the Concurso Internacional de Guitarra (International Guitar Competition) in Ourense. This competition was started by Segovia. After winning, Tomás mostly focused on teaching in his hometown of Alicante.
He became a guitar professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música "Óscar Esplá" and held that job for 20 years. From 1964 until the mid-1970s, he also took over from Segovia as the director of Música en Compostela.
His Contributions to Guitar Music
As a performer, Tomás was known for his beautiful sound and amazing playing skills. He was also famous for changing old music so it could be played on the guitar. This included music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
To play this older music better, he started using an eight string guitar. This special guitar was made for him by José Ramírez III. The two extra strings allowed him to play music originally written for instruments like the vihuela and lute on a modern guitar without missing any notes.
However, his biggest contribution was to teaching guitar. Many guitarists visited his home in Alicante to get his advice. Some of the famous classical guitarists who studied with Tomás include David Russell, Raphaella Smits, Thomas Müller-Pering, Ahmet Kanneci, Cornel Imry, Edson Lopes, Yoshimi Otani, Ignacio Rodes, Rafael Serrallet, Carles Trepat, Mario Caserta, Edoardo Catemario, and Jesús Castro-Balbi.
Legacy and Recognition
The Conservatorio Profesional de Música "Guitarrista José Tomás" (Professional Music Conservatory "Guitarist José Tomás") in Alicante is named in his honor. There is also an international classical guitar competition named after him, called the Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Clásica "José Tomás - Villa de Petrer".
See also
In Spanish: José Tomás (guitarrista) para niños
