Jose Lezcano (b. 1960)

Cuban-born guitarist, composer, and folklorist Jose Lezcano has taken his programs of traditional guitar repertory, his own works, and Andean music from Carnegie Recital Hall to major festivals in South American to China. He is Professor of Music at Keene State College, where he teaches music theory, Latin American music, and directs the Guitar Orchestra. He received his PhD (music theory) from Florida State University, and holds BM and MM degrees in guitar from Peabody Conservatory of Music and the University of South Carolina. His Cuban Sketches (published by Pan Publications/ALRY Publications) was performed by renowned flutist William Bennett at the 1999 National Flute Association Convention, and his most recent work, Sonata for Oboe and Guitar, was performed by the D'Amore Duo of Baltimore on its 2001 tour. His CD, Passports, was released in 1999 to critical acclaim.

Lezcano has received numerous national prizes and awards, including the MTNA National Guitar Competition (1983) and a Fulbright Award (1999) to Ecuador, to teach, perform, and pursue research on indigenous guitar traditions. Most recently he was selected "Composer of the Year 2002" by the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association. He has received additional funding for research from the Whiting Foundation and KSC, has published his research in scholarly journals and encyclopedias.

Dr. Lezcano lectures for the New Hampshire Humanities Council with his multimedia presentation, "The Guitar and the Devil: Music, Magic, and Ritual among Ecuadorean Indians", featuring film footage shot on location and live and recorded musical performances on various instruments (guitar, charango, pan-flute).