José Miguel Moreno is one of the leading specialists of historical plucked string instruments, but with a repertory that extends from the 16th century to the present day. A co-founder of Glossa, he had previously recorded with Teresa Berganza for Philips and with Hespèrion XX for Astrée. As a soloist, as an accompanist or with his ensembles La Romanesca and Orphénica Lyra (focused on the Spanish repertoire of the Renaissance and Baroque), Moreno has made some of the signal recordings that have helped establish Glossa’s reputation: his groundbreaking album, The Spanish Guitar (1536-1836), for example, has sold in excess of 30,000 copies; other recordings have explored the musical worlds of Cervantes’ Don Quijote and of the painter Diego Velázquez. Moreno has also recorded Boccherini Guitar Quintets, accompanied by his brother Emilio’s La Real Cámara. More recently, he has – in the company of Eligio Quinteiro – dedicated albums to the music of John Dowland and Luys Milán. Over the years such recordings have also received substantial critical praise.

As well as performing on original instruments – vihuelas, Renaissance and Baroque guitars, lutes and theorbos as well as Romantic-era guitars – he has carried out extensive research into the building of early instruments of the lute and guitar family. Such research can be heard brought into practice on all his recordings for Glossa. Currently, in his workshop he is also constructing classical guitars.

Concerts, master classes and conferences have taken him all over the world, including North and South America, Asia and Australia, as well as frequent appearances in the concert halls of Europe, from the United Kingdom to Turkey and from Russia to Moreno’s native Spain. The Madrid-born guitarist’s musical versatility has also seen him perform recently the Fantasía para un gentilhombre by Joaquín Rodrigo.