ETUDE
June 1940
volume LVIII
number 6
page 422-423

Julio Martinez Oyanguren

By George C. Krick

QUITE OFTEN this department has received letters from young guitar students wanting to know if the classic guitar holds out promise for a successful career in radio or on the concert stage. We believe that nothing could serve as a better answer than to submit a biography of one who is proving by his radio and concert appearances that the guitar in the hands of an artist is the equal of any other instrument, and that it offers a lucrative future to those possessing an abundance of musical talent and a willingness to study and work hard for a number of years.

The name of the artist, whom we have selected as an example, is none other than Julio Martinez Oyanguren, a native of Uruguay, now residing in New York, who, during the past year, through his weekly broadcasts over the Red Network of the National BroadcastIng Company, has put the classic guitar “on the map”, so to speak. Through his programs, millions of listeners throughout the United States and Canada have become aware of the fact that the guitar is an instrument worthy of serious study and capable of interpreting all types of music from the classical compositions of Bach and Mozart to those of the modern composers.

Born in Durazno, Uruguay, thirty-five years ago, Julio Martinez Oyanguren commenced the study of guitar under the guidance of Professor Alfredo Hargain, organist at the Durazno Cathedral, who, like many of the professional musicians of South America, is also a fine guitarist. With the same teacher he studied harmony, counterpoint and composition. His progress on the guitar was so rapid that at eleven years of age he was able to give, in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, a complete recital of guitar music. Later he entered the State University and after graduation passed on to the Naval Academy, where he spent six years to become a lieutenant in the Uruguayan Navy. Two years of sea duty brought him to Europe and other countries, where, during his leisure time, he had opportunities to contact many of the well known guitarists. In spite of his many and various official duties, Oyanguren managed to devote many hours to his favorite instrument, the guitar; and, upon his return to his native country gave a recital in Montevideo, which proved a great artistic success. Then and there he decided to make music and the guitar his life work. After having gained permission from his government to resign from the navy, he toured the principal cities of South America for several years where his appearance in recitals was greeted with unbounded enthusiasm; and from then on he has been known as the greatest exponent of guitar playing in the southern hemisphere.

New York Debut

Looking for more worlds to conquer he came to New York in 1935 and, on October first of that year, gave a recital in Town Hall, which established him at once as an artist of the first order. Since that time Oyanguren’s name has become quite familiar with all lovers of the guitar. As already mentioned, he is now under contract with the National Broadcasting Company to play a fifteen minute program on Sundays at 12:15 P.M. over WEAF and Red Network including Canadian stations. He has appeared as guest artist on the programs of Paul Whiteman, Rudy Vallee, Kate Smith the Magic Key hour and others. He has given a number of guitar recitals in colleges and universities and has become a favorite with young students. After his last concert at Columbia University a reception was held in his honor, and he was presented with a guitar made especially for him by the famous Luthier, Phillip Interdonatti, of “Instituto de la Espanas.” About a year ago he was invited to give a recital at the White House in Washington, before a distinguished gathering, and he prizes quite highly an autographed portrait of the President and Mrs. Roosevelt, presented to him on that occasion. He appeared several times as guitar soloist with the General Electric Orchestra in Schenectady, with the N.B.C. Salon Orchestra, and the “Orchestrette Classique,” a symphonic organization directed by Frederique Petrides. He also played the guitar part in the “Quartet for Flute, Guitar, Viola and Violoncello,” by Schubert, when it had its first New York performance. He has recorded a number of classical compositions and has just concluded a contract with the CoIumbia Phonograph Company to make recordings of about fifty master works for the guitar. He was the first to play a recital for television, through R.C.A. During the past year he has included more than two hundred and fifty different compositions in his programs, displaying not only great versatility but also showing the unlimited repertoire of the classic guitar.

Composer and Arranger

As a composer Mr. Oyanguren has enriched the guitar literature through many original compositions of decidedly Spanish flavor and a goodly number of classical arrangements, together with the transcriptions of folk songs originating in South American countries.

The technic of Oyanguren shows his complete mastery of the instrument, his tone quality and phrasing are superb, and, whether he plays Scarlatti, Haydn, Bach, Mozart, or the modern Spanish music by Albeniz, Tarrega, Turina and Granados, he is always the artist and his interpretations are a delight to the listener. After his first recital, the New York critics were unanimous in their praise of his remarkable performance, and their reviews of the concert revealed such phrases as these: “Plays in the tradition of elegance and suavity”; “Senor Oyanguren gave constant evidence of an amazing virtuosity”; “He did magical things with the guitar.”

We present this sketch of one of the contemporary masters of the guitar, not only because some of our readers asked us to tell them something about this artist, but also that it may serve as an inspiration to those of our younger students who are thinking of adopting the guitar as the instrument of their choice for a professional career.