Regino Sainz de la Maza facts for kids
Regino Sainz de la Maza y Ruiz (born September 7, 1896 – died November 26, 1981) was a very talented Spanish classical guitarist and composer. He was known for his amazing guitar playing and for writing beautiful music.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Journey
Regino Sainz de la Maza was born in Burgos, Spain. When he was ten years old, he received his first guitar. This was the start of his musical adventure! He began learning music with different teachers.
He studied solfege (reading music notes) with Santiago Landache. He learned to play the piano with José Nicolás Quesada. And, of course, he studied guitar with Eugenio Rodríguez Pascual.
In 1910, his family moved to San Sebastián. There, he continued his music studies. He learned piano with Germán Cendoya and harmony (how notes fit together) with Beltrán Pagola. He also kept learning guitar from Luis Soria.
Just one year later, he moved to Bilbao. He continued his studies there with Hilarión Leloup. When he was 18, Regino played his very first public concert. This important event happened at the Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao.
Becoming a Concert Star
After his early studies, Regino moved to Barcelona. He started working as a professional concert musician. In Barcelona, he became friends with two other famous guitarists: Miguel Llobet and Andrés Segovia.
In 1920, he performed in Madrid for the first time. A year later, he went on a big tour of South America. He played an amazing 90 concerts there! On May 20, 1920, he received a Golden Medal from the University of Buenos Aires. During this trip, he also became friends with composer Antonio José Martínez Palacios. Antonio José even wrote some guitar pieces especially for Regino.
Regino also toured Europe, sharing his music. He played concerts in France in 1926, in Germany in 1927, and in Great Britain in 1928. Five years later, he went back to South America for a second tour. He performed in Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
Important Moments and Achievements
On December 19, 1930, Regino married Josefina de la Serna. She was the daughter of the writer Concha Espina. Their wedding took place at the Real Basílica de Monasterio de El Escorial.
In 1935, Regino was given a special job. He became a guitar professor at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. This is a very important music school.
One of his most famous moments happened on November 6, 1940. He played the guitar at the very first performance of Joaquín Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez. This happened in Barcelona, with César Mendoza Lasalle leading the orchestra. Joaquín Rodrigo actually dedicated this beautiful guitar concerto to Regino Sainz de la Maza. On December 11, 1940, Regino played the concerto again in Madrid, this time with Jesús Arámbarri as the conductor.
In 1955, Regino published a book called La Guitarra y su historia, which means 'The Guitar and its History'. On May 23, 1958, he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. The next day, his hometown of Burgos named him a "favourite son."
Later Life
Regino Sainz de la Maza played his last public concert on July 9, 1979. He was 82 years old and performed at the Church of San Nicola di Bari in Italy. He passed away in Madrid two years later.
His younger brother, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza (1903–1982), was also a well-known guitarist and composer.
Selected Guitar Compositions
Regino Sainz de la Maza wrote many pieces for the guitar. Here are some of his compositions for solo guitar:
- Alegrías Danza (published in Madrid, 1933)
- Cuatro obras originales (published in Madrid, 1955). This collection includes: Baile de Muñecas; Meditacion; Recuerdo; Minueto.
- El Vito (a new version, published in Madrid, 1962)
- Rondeña (published in Madrid, 1962)
- Zapateado (published in Madrid, 1962)
See also
In Spanish: Regino Sainz de la Maza para niños
