Narciso Yepes: classical guitar, ten strings, zero fluff

Narciso Yepes

Musician

Forclassical guitar fans, students of spanish repertoire, and listeners who want expressive, technique-rich performances.
3 Reviews 0 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

Narciso Yepes (1927–1997) was a Spanish classical guitarist famed for pioneering the 10‑string guitar (1964) and for benchmark interpretations spanning Tárrega, Sor, and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. His performance of the anonymous Romance (Jeux Interdits) reached a vast audience.

Spanish classical guitar virtuoso; introduced a 10‑string guitar in 1964 to broaden resonance and accommodate lute/early music; widely associated with the film theme Romance (Jeux Interdits); acclaimed interpreter of Francisco Tárrega and Fernando Sor; recorded Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.

Three glowing reviews salute Narciso Yepes as a master interpreter and innovator of the 10‑string guitar. They spotlight his readings of Tárrega and Sor and the visceral pull of Concierto de Aranjuez. The writing underscores devotion, technique, and a music‑first ethos (“I don’t play with my hair”). Expect heartfelt praise and zero grandstanding.

Notable Quotes

❝ "I don't play with my hair"

❝ When music reaches incredibly high levels, when music needs no words, when music is communicative, when music is the bread. 10 strings that are plucked and trembled to reach the stomach, to make us clasp our hands to our chest, to give us the Music.

❝ "An amateur devotes himself to the guitar to relax from his work; he has studied other things, dedicated himself to useful sciences, and has learned to think for himself, preferring reason to authoritarian constraints. And it is precisely for this reason that he can understand me better than someone who has dedicated his entire life to the study of music."