Charles Ramirez (born 1953) is a Gibraltarian concert guitarist based in London. He is also Professor of

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

Biography

Early life

Charles Ramirez was born on 2 September 1953 in

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. He studied with William Gomez MBE (a student of

Narciso Yepes Narciso Yepes (14 November 19273 May 1997) was a Spanish classical guitar, guitarist. He is considered one of the finest virtuoso classical guitarists of the twentieth century. Biography Yepes was born into a family of humble origin in Lorca, ...

) who gave him his first lessons and such was his aptitude that, just two months later, he gave his first performance live on local

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

( Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation). He was a regular performer on Gibraltar television and radio prior to moving to London to study.

Royal College of Music

In 1971, Charles Ramirez entered the

as a

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution, or more generally, a person who takes a special interest in a subject. In the United Kingdom and most The Commonwealth, commonwealth countries, a "student" attends ...

, where he studied guitar with Patrick Bashford and composition with Stephen Dodgson. Whilst at college, he won the Jack Morrison guitar prize. He was the first ever guitar student at the Royal College of Music to be invited to play with the full orchestra and he gave his first performance of

Rodrigo Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the la ...

's Aranjuez Concerto in June 1973. He became an Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM) in April 1974. Whilst still a student of the college he gave his debut at the Purcell Room. Ramirez was appointed

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

of Guitar at the Royal College of Music in 1978 (age 25) and also teaches in the college's Junior Department. He was invited by

Trinity College of Music Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music, dance, and musical theatre conservatoire based in South East London. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. Trini ...

to devise the

syllabus A syllabus (; : syllabuses or syllabi) or specification is a document that communicates information about an Academy, academic course or class and defines expectations and responsibilities. It is generally an overview or summary of the curriculum. ...

for their international guitar grade examinations. This also led to the publication of his Technical Development for Guitarists that has been used by Trinity for over a decade. Charles Ramirez organised a tribute to

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...

at the Royal College of Music in 1987 and performed alongside John Williams and Carlos Bonnell, where he played Rodrigo's ' Fantasy for a Gentleman', conducted by John Forster.

Performing career

Charles Ramirez made his professional debut on

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

’s

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

while still a student and has since given many concerts and master classes both in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and abroad. He has broadcast regularly for Radio 3, his first programme being chosen for 'Pick of the Week'. He has a special interest in modern contemporary music and has given world premiers of several contemporary works, including 'Nick's Lament' by Erika Fox, 'Sonetos y Casidas del Amor Oscuro' by Jeremy Dale-Roberts (both commissioned with funds from the Arts Council of Great Britain), 'Shades V' by Naresh Sohal, 'Toccata" by John Lambert and 'Serenata for Guitar' by Jesus Eduardo Alvarez, which was dedicated to him.

Duo

Charles Ramirez and Helen Kalamuniak (a student of John Williams) formed a Guitar duo in 1974. They premiered their transcription of Bach's Goldberg Variations at the Purcell Room in 1975. BBC Radio 3 later broadcast a live performance with a studio audience. The duo went on to premiere Charles Ramirez' transcription M de Falla's ballet 'El Amor Brujo', also broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Andrés Segovia on one of his annual visits to London asked the Duo to give a private performance of the Goldberg Variations.

Instrument

Charles plays a guitar made for him by Jose Romanillos (1973, Semley).

Recordings

Charles Ramirez signed an exclusive recording contract in January 2010.

Personal life

Charles Ramirez met his wife Helen Kalamuniak at the RCM and married in 1975. They have three children and two grandchildren.

References

External links

Charles Ramirez Official Site

Maestro Workshop
* List of Gibraltarians * Music of Gibraltar {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Charles 1953 births Living people Gibraltarian classical guitarists Alumni of the Royal College of Music Academics of the Royal College of Music Gibraltarian emigrants to England