Internationally trained, classical guitarist David Vásquez plays to packed houses in Cuenca

By Stephen Vargha

In the past five years, Cuenca has become a global, international city. It is no longer an isolated city in the middle of the Andes mountains.

David Vásquez says young Ecaudorians have become very interested in classical music.

The arts are a huge reason. Global cities have experienced an increase in culture, cultural life, and cultural flagship projects. And the international media has emphasized the arts as an essential feature of a city’s profile.

“When I came back from New York City in 2019, I only saw gray hair… expats at the symphony’s concerts,” said David Vásquez. “Now, I see a lot of young people.”

Vásquez is a classical guitarist. The talented 29-year-old musician grew up in Cuenca.

David Vásquez (left) and Fernando Zambrano (Right) performed John Dowland’s songs and the English Renaissance music to a sold-out crowd at La Guarida restaurant.

“In 2015, there were only a couple of bars open with live entertainment,” said Vásquez. “Now, there are plenty of choices on the weekends to enjoy live music in Cuenca.”

Vásquez knew he wanted to play the classical guitar since he was seven or eight years old because his father played the guitar. And because of a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period.

“Bach was the first piece I fell in love with,” said Vásquez. “I played some Spanish music, but Bach is my favorite.”

The talented 29-year-old musician knew he wanted to play the classical guitar since he was seven or eight years old.

Classical guitars are one of the oldest styles still being produced. A plucked string instrument that was first called a guitar appeared in Spain around the turn of the fifteenth century. The instrument was called a vihuela and consisted of four double strings.

“I started playing the classical guitar in high school,” said Vásquez. “I hated the instrument because progress in the classroom was very slow.”

Vásquez attributes that to classical guitars demanding precision in fingerpicking techniques and navigation of the wider neck and nylon strings.

Due to a high demand, La Guarida has added a second performance by David Vásquez and Fernando Zambrano on Sunday, October 13th.

“I wanted to drop out of the class, but my dad would not allow me as he had paid for the class a year in advance,” said Vásquez. “It backfired on him as I had to choose a degree at the university.”

Vásquez laughs at the irony, but he was thrilled to find the University of Cuenca had a music program.

He spent 18 months at the university. And during his time there, his father would try to steer him towards another profession.

“My dad would come home with information on another career. I would take it and put it into a drawer. That lasted for six months,” Vásquez said with a laugh.

David Vásquez said classical guitars demand precision in fingerpicking techniques and navigation of the wider neck and nylon strings.

In 2015, Vásquez went to the Manhattan School of Music, one of the premier private music conservatories in the world. There are just over 500 undergraduate students. The acceptance rate at the prestigious school is 55 percent.

“I auditioned to get in,” said Vásquez. “It was the best as they gave me a large scholarship.”

He applied to five schools: Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester), Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University), and The Juilliard School.

David Vásquez warms up before his concert at La Guarida restaurant.

Only The Julliard School rejected him.

“Manhattan was my top choice, so I was lucky,” said Vásquez.

Vásquez added that academically, both The Julliard School and Manhattan School of Music maintain a high-standard music education with exceptional faculty members.

After getting his Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Guitar Performance in 2019, Vásquez came back to Cuenca, looking for a master’s degree. He chose Europe.

“I studied Italian and then the pandemic hit,” said Vásquez. “In October 2020, I was able to get a student visa to Italy. Tourist visas were still not being allowed.”

David Vásquez got his master’s degree at Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini, in Bologna, Italy.

For two years, Vásquez studied and got his master’s degree at Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini, in Bologna, Italy. The prestigious music school is where the Italian classical music composer Gioachino Rossini was once the musical director.

After graduating, Vásquez tried to find “stable jobs” in Italy. Not being successful, he returned to Ecuador and toured with a violinist, who was his girlfriend at the time.

For two months in 2022, the couple performed classical music in Quito, Mashpi, and the Galápagos Islands. It was mix of European and South American composers.

“We premiered a piece by Mateo Terán. I had met him at a guitar competition,” said Vásquez. “He is now writing a piece for me for flute, guitar, and cello.”

David Vásquez and his friend Fernando Zambrano performed “The Willow Song,” by Samuel Coleridge Taylor with text by William Shakespeare, at La Guarida restaurant.

That is quite an honor as the 22-year-old Terán has won several awards and mentions in guitar competitions in both in Ecuador and abroad. His compositions have been rewarded and noticed in several international competitions.

The Cuencano’s music preferences may surprise some. One would think that he would listen to classical guitar music from musicians such as Andrés Segovia, a master of the classical guitar.

“I never listen to classical guitar music. Maybe it is because I have played it so much,” said Vásquez. “I love rock music, and my favorites are Pink Floyd, Queen, and some Led Zeppelin.”

Every week Vásquez tries to listen to something new or something random. Don’t be surprised to see him walking with his headphones on, listening to music, in the hills above Turi.

Currently, Vásquez is performing with his friend, Fernando Zambrano. Late last month, the two performed John Dowland’s songs and the English Renaissance music to a sold-out crowd at La Guarida restaurant.

“I am not surprised at all by the overwhelming support as many of our customers understand how hard musicians work to be at that level,” said Andrés Zambrano, owner of La Guarida. “They understand that chamber music concerts in the States are very expensive, and an $8 fee is not even a shared Uber fee in most states. In New York City, it is a bottle of Fiji water.”

“La Guarida has space for 30 people. They had people make a request, with 20 others on a waiting list,” said Vásquez. “Because of that, we were asked to do a second concert at La Guarida.”

“Our customers have always had his back, and their support has been overwhelming,” said Zambrano. “He has played for sold-out crowds at La Guarida as they understand the quality of his artistry. He also joined us to tell a story for Canelazo Stories. He was so funny and gracious.”

The two will have their encore performance on Sunday, October 13 at 6 p.m. Reservations can be made by sending a WhatsApp message to La Guarida.

Not taking a rest, Vásquez will be at an international guitar festival at the end of this month at the Abraham Lincoln Center.

“I am required to play two pieces from the 19th century Cuencano composer Manuel Antonio Calle,” said Vásquez. “I will then play three pieces of my own choosing, including British composer Sir Lennox Berkeley, and Austrian composer, and Gerardo Guevara.”

Guevara is one of Ecuador’s most famed and accomplished composers. He studied music composition with Nadia Boulanger at the École Normale de Musique in Paris as well as musicology at La Sorbonne. His work combines native music with contemporary techniques.

In December, Vásquez will perform with a tenor from Guayaquil. A venue has not been set.

“We will be playing Ravel’s Five Greek Folk Melodies, music by a British contemporary composer as well as some Italian classical/opera,” said Vásquez.

Every performance is an educational and musical experience. No one will be lost.

“I usually try to explain the music that I play,” said Vásquez.

One of his fastest groups of fans are young Ecuadorians. They have become interested in classical music, which usually starts with a performance by the Cuenca Symphony Orchestra.

Vásquez says they go to enjoy classical music, and that includes his performances.

“I like to do interesting projects,” said Vásquez. “I like to do new pieces. I like to challenge myself.”

All of which makes for a fresh performance in this global, international city.
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David Vásquez, Classical Guitarist, 099-109-0808, david_vazquez@hotmail.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.svazquez.j, Instagram: @davidv.guitar

La Guarida, Mariscal Lamar 22.23 y Luis Pauta, Cuenca, 099-806-8071, https://www.facebook.com/LaGuaridaCuenca/

13th International Festival of Guitars, Abraham Lincoln Center, Antonio Borrero 5-18 y Honorato Vásquez, Cuenca, https://www.facebook.com/FestivalDeGuitarrasEC/?locale=es_LA

Photos by Stephen Vargha

Stephen Vargha’s second edition of his book about Cuenca, “Una Nueva Vida – A New Life” is available at Amazon in digital and hardback formats. His award-winning blog, “Becoming Cuenca,” supplements his book with the latest information and hundreds of professional photos by him.