Tomas Rodriguez is a New York City based guitarist who has developed a unique repertoire for guitar performance that is rooted in his ancestry and guided by the diverse styles of music that have inspired him. These include the folk music of Galicia, Spain, the music of Venezuelan harp masters Juan Vicente Torrealba and Malian kora virtuoso Toumani Diabaté. Informed by this broad palette, Rodriguez’ own compositions display an engaging groove, touching harmonies and a mesmerizing exploration of the guitar’s rich background in the music of Africa and the Americas, In addition to his solo work, he also performs in duos with the Gambian kora master Salieu Suso and jazz cellist Barry Kornhauser.
Born in Washington D.C. of a Spanish father and a mother from the Appalachian region of Virginia, Rodriguez grew up in New York, New Jersey and Idaho. As a child he was inspired by his father’s eclectic record collection, which included Frank Sinatra, Beethoven, the Venezuelan harpist Juan Vicente Torrealba and Latin crooner Lucho Gatica. As a teen, he learned to play electric guitar by ear from Jimi Hendrix records, and later studied classical guitar with Sharon Isbin at the Manhattan School of Music. He later toured with the renowned NYC based Pregones Theatre and informally immersed himself in flamenco on the streets of Sevilla successive summers.
Rodriguez’ guitar playing has captivated audiences nationally and internationally. He has performed at International Festival of the Guitar in Lima, Peru, the Brooklyn Museum, Merkin Hall, and Trinity Church in New York City as well as the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts (NJPAC), the World Expressions Series at Boise State University and the University of Virginia. He has commercially released three full length albums: Guitarra de mi Alma, Dialogue, and most recently, Ruminations.
A dedicated music educator, Rodriguez runs a unique honors-level guitar program for young people in Brooklyn, NY, using African, Latin, Flamenco, Jazz and Classical styles to teach beginners to advanced students. Previously, he founded and directed an innovative after-school guitar program at one of New York’s largest Latino social service organizations, utilizing music from Latin America and Spain to teach basic guitar skills. He is also a registered Suzuki guitar instructor and has also taught at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Tomas Rodriguez is a member of The American Federation of Musicians, ASCAP and The Guitar Foundation of America.