Phenomenal guitarist born in Barcelona in 1989, his mastery of all musical languages and a proverbial good taste turn his guitar into a fascinating instrument that expresses itself with the ease of a living being. His music, with the flamenco guitar as the undisputed protagonist, goes beyond this genre thanks to an ingenious concept of form and harmony, rhythm and compás, the result of a brilliant mixture of the art of the sonanta with the music of our century. Moving forward even further, Pau investigates beyond the guitar itself by incorporating to the natural touch of nail and flesh a very creative use of the synthesizer, through which he carefully runs his guitar, providing the music with rich textures and sounds typical of current times, but also rooted in the jazz tradition of recent decades.
His debut album “Pau Figueres” (Whatabout Music), published in 2015, was highly praised by critics and listeners alike, winning the Enderrock Prize for Best Folk Album of 2016. In 2018 he publishes “Nada Nuevo Bajo El Sol” (Satélite K), premiered live at Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, an album which consolidates him as a composer and where he shines as an excellent instrumentalist. In 2024 he releases “LATIDO” (Satélite K), a record in which he masterfully puts together tradition and innovation. He has performed widely throughout Spain and internationally both as a soloist and with the Pau Figueres Group: Festival Eurofonik in France, NIB Art Dresden and Internationale Gitarrenfestival am Maindreieck in Germany, the Budapest Music Center (Hungary), Global Live Med in Athens (Greece), Centro de Artes de Águeda in Portugal, Jazz+More concert series in Küsnacht and the Reformierte Kirche in Kilchberg (Switzerland), Bargoglio in Buenos Aires (Argentina) or The Lillypad and City Winery in Boston and the Folk Alliance International in Kansas City (United States).
A brilliant performer of his own music, he’s also highly praised as a collaborator and producer. He has toured the world extensively with multi Grammy award-winning artist Alejandro Sanz from 2019 to 2022, and throughout his career his guitar has been sought after by an amazing array of world-class artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Hayley Reardon, MARO, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, C.Tangana, Mayte Martín, Carles Benavent, Judit Neddermann, Vic Mirallas, Alfonso de Vilallonga, Juan de la Rubia or Tal Ben Ari, to name a few.
He started playing when he was 7 years old and started working as a live and studio guitarist at the early age of 16. Since then he has taken part in countless recording sessions and has collaborated with artists that vary greatly in terms of style and musical context. He has performed as a classical guitar soloist, as a soloist with an orchestra, in chamber music ensembles, rock bands, backing singers, in jazz, world music and pop bands, etc. He has played with some of the most acclaimed musicians in Spain and has performed and recorded all over the world (U.K., Spain, Germany, France, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Finland, Russia, Portugal, Estonia, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Andorra, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Dominican Republic, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Brasil, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, Bulgaria…)
He began to study classical guitar at the age of 8 and went on to do his Bachelors Degree at the Catalonia Superior Music School in Barcelona (ESMUC) under the guidance of Zoran Dukic, one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of our time. He finished in 2011 obtaining the highest qualifications. Hence, his technique has been carefully developed and is skilful and confident. In the classical guitar field he has also studied with Àlex Garrobé, Laura Young, Feliu Gasull and Vicenç Mayol. In 2007 he won the Top Prize in the Badalona Professional Conservatory of Music, in 2005 the First Prize in the Sant Anastasi Competition in Lleida, and in 2009 he won both the Second Prize and the Audience Prize in the renowned classical guitar competition Certamen Llobet in Barcelona. He has performed twice as a sideman at the Latin Grammy Awards gala in Las Vegas, with Alejandro Sanz in 2019 and with C. Tangana in 2021.
He has studied Flamenco guitar with Juan Manuel Cañizares, Diego del Morao, Rafael Cañizares and Antón Jiménez, all of them highly regarded as some of the best Flamenco players in Spain, and in the modern music field he has studied jazz guitar with Wayne Krantz, Ben Monder, Adam Levy and Dani Pérez and learnt directly from Horacio Fumero, Carme Canela, Gorka Benítez, Jordi Bonell and Bob Reynolds, among others.
As well as having received the best possible academic education, Pau has dedicated a lot of time to learning from other musicians, and as a result of painstakingly listening to music he is highly self-taught in many aspects of his musicality. His rich technique is a mixture of the Classical and the Flamenco techniques (also embracing the pick and the slide). He has a deep knowledge of the guitar as an instrument and of the art of making it sound.
Gear & Endorsements
Pau plays and endorses Hernández Casasola Guitars, Arcadio Marín Guitars, Furch Guitars (first endorser in Spain),
Knobloch Strings, Aclam Guitars and Righton Straps.
Artists Pau has worked with
Alejandro Sanz, Adrià Plana, Ahyvin Bruno, Albert Sanz, Aleix Tobias, Alessio Arena, Alfred Tapscott, Alfonso Vilallonga, Alizzz, Anita Zengeza, Arnau Bataller, Arnau Figueres, L’Auditori, Ángela Furquet, Adê, Baptiste Bailly, Bikimel, Break Out The Crazy, C. Tangana, Carles Benavent, Carles Gutiérrez, Carola Ortiz, Carles Cases, Carles Dénia, Carlos Montfort, Carme Nalini, Chris Hierro, Clara Peya, Coetus, Dàmaris Gelabert, David Palomar, Doctor Prats, Domini Màgic, Elena Gadel, Eliseo Parra, Eli Jas, Feliu Gasull, Feliu Ventura, Ferran Savall, Gabriel Amargant, Gemma Abrié, Gemma Humet, Gessamí Boada, Guillem Roma, Hayley Reardon, Hirahi Afonso, Ismael Alcina, Indigos, Irie Souljah, Jimmy Malla, Joan Dausà, Joan Garriga, Joan Garrido, Joan Rovira, Jonah Smith, José Guillermo Cortines, Juan Antonio Moya, Juan de la Rubia, Judit Neddermann, Karina Pasian, Karol Green, Kelly Isaiah, Khaoula Bouchkhi, La Sra. Tomasa, Licus, Lídia Pujol, Luis Robisco, Maestros De La Guitarra, Manolo García, MARO, Manuel Maio, Marc Miralta, Marco Mezquida, Maria de Medeiros, María José Montiel, Marina Rossell, May Cheung, Mayte Martín, Momi Maiga, Mone, Les Montses, Murtra Ensemble, Nacho Melús, Nahuel, Ngulmiya, Oscar Alabau, Pau Brugada, Paula Grande, Pau Lobo, Pechrima, Pol Batlle, Ravi Ramoneda, Roger Pistola, Rufus Wainwright, Saphie Wells, Sergi Carbonell, Sonora Mandanga, Stay Homas, La Shica, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Susanna Puig, Tal Ben Ari, Toti Soler, Trio Silvestre, Txell Sust, Txo Titelles, Vic Mirallas, Vic Moliner, Xavier Batllés…