Luis Manuel Molina de Varona

Concert Guitarist, Composer, Arranger, Director and Radio Program Producer. Has shared the stage with famous musicians at a worldwide level.

Multi-awarded guitarist nationally and internationally, with great breadth and depth of interpretation, who moves from classicism to the contemporary, with a display that reflects the new paths of virtuosity, imprinting communicative value to each note, however brief and hidden it may appear.

He studied at the intermediate level at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and concluded his studies graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Music, Guitar specialty at the Superior Institute of Art (ISA) in Havana. He received master classes from important figures such as Leo Brouwer, Alirio Díaz, Ichiro Suzuki, Costas Cotsiolis, Manolo Sanlúcar and Mónica Rost.

In his work as a musician, several facts stand out: he was part of the musicians who premiered "Canto General" by Mikis Theodorakis in Cuba, directed by the author himself, with whom he traveled to Nicaragua.

He has directed the following musical groups:
Géminis (symphonic rock group)
Cuarteto Orfeo
Cuarteto Metamorfosis
Quinteto Eclosión

Molina received the title from the National Academy of Tango of Argentina and is a member of the board of the National Association of Tango of Cuba.

He participated as a musical arranger and performer in the Holy Mass celebrated in Havana by the visit of His Holiness John Paul II (1998) and again performed similar functions in the Holy Mass celebrated in the capital by His Holiness Benedict XVI (2012).

He is co-author of the book "Los Beatles en Cuba", Havana. (February 1998). He has published numerous articles in specialized magazines in the country. As a composer he has written works for different formats such as: piano, solo guitar, 2 guitars, 3 guitars, 4 guitars, guitar orchestra, guitar and clarinet, music for mixed choir, mixed choir and orchestra, chamber and incidental music for children's theater.

His work "Divertimento" has been performed by the Guitar Orchestra of the Virginia Conservatory, United States. His Gilgamés Symphony was premiered in Cuba at the Amadeo Roldán Theater by the Rheine Guitar Orchestra (Germany) and the Sonatas Habaneras Orchestra (July 26, 2009).

He performed at important events, festivals and galas such as; the XXI, XXI and XXIII Festivals of La Huella de España, the Gala for the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the National Ballet of Cuba, the Gala for the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of UNEAC, the Gala for the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of the Spanish Ballet of Havana, among others.

He directed and participated as a performer in the Concert "From me to you", dedicated to Sir George Martin.

He has received glowing reviews as a performer and composer from prestigious specialized music magazines such as Guitar Review, New York, Classical Guitar, Newcastle, England, Les Cahiers de la Guitarre, Paris. The German newspapers Taz Hamburg Abendblatt, Stadt Oldenburg, Rotenburger Kreisztung, Wesser Kurier (Bremen) and the newspapers La Crónica and Diario de León, Spain.

Places where he has taken his music:
Hungary (1979, 1981) International Guitar Competitions of Esztergom and Keszthely.
Nicaragua (1981) Participation in the premiere of the work Canto General by Mikis Theodorakis, under the direction of the composer himself.
Czechoslovakia (1982, 1988) Interpodium Festival and International Festival of Ostrava.
Poland (1988) Lodz Guitar Festival.
Germany (1985, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2002) Participation in the Rotenburg Festival where he also taught master classes.
Spain (1994, 1995) Offered concerts in the city of Segovia and at the Ateneo de Madrid. He held working meetings with the famous guitarist Don Joaquín Rodrigo.
Venezuela: Concerts in Caracas.
Italy (1993, 1994 and 1997) Participation as guitarist and mandolinist of the Operetta Company of the Bellini Theater in Naples, with tours throughout the country.
Canada (1995) Offered concerts in Toronto, Montreal and at the Parliament of Ottawa, with the presence of numerous parliamentarians, personalities from the politics and culture of that country.
Belgium (2005) Concerts with works of his own authorship in Brussels, achieving great success with the public and critics.

Distinctions
Distinction for National Culture, granted by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba 2002.
Commemorative Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba 2010.
Microphone of Cuban Radio 2010.

Works
Mixed Choir
The Blue Ballad, 1979
Ave María, 1997
Mixed Choir and Orchestra
Cantata Gesta Luminosa, 1988
Solo Guitar
Romance for Two Souls, 1979
Mystic Caprice for a Solitary Guitar, 1986
Serenade of the Angel, 1990
Three Spanish Evocations, 1992
Sketches from Overseas, 1994
Talisman and Arabesque, 1995, for two guitars
Prayer and Fantastic Scherzo, 1998
Sonata No. 1 ("The Valley of the Temples")
Adagio for the Gentleman of Aranjuez, 1999
Chamber Music
An Autumn in Weimar, 1982, for recorder flute and two guitars
The Music of Nobody's House, for flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and guitar
Souvenir de Aha-u-sen, and Triptych in Flamenco Style, 1991
Externsteine, for flute, viola and guitar
Divertimento, for four guitars, 1992
Cuban Suite, 1993
Fantasy for the Lady of Lake Bullensee
Offering for a Flower, 1995, for guitar orchestra
Like an Angel Crossing Through My Window..., 1996
Incidental Music for Children's Theater
The Cat That Went Alone, 1988
Peter Pan, 1990

Participation in International Competitions, Festivals and Concerts
International Guitar Competitions of Esztergom and Keszthely Hungary (1979, 1981).
Premiere of the work Canto General by Mikis Theodorakis Nicaragua (1981).
International Interpodium Festival of Bratislava and International Festival of Ostrava. Czechoslovakia (1982, 1988).
Lodz Guitar Festival. Poland (1988)
As guitarist and mandolinist of the Operetta Company of the Bellini Theater in Naples Italy (1993, 1994 and 1997)
Concerts in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Canada (1995)
Concerts in Brussels and Aalst. Belgium (2005)
Concerts with the Cáliz Duo. Cayman Islands (2007)

Current Activities
He writes (weekly) the program notes for the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba. He has been directing the Cáliz Duo for the past 15 years and his new project with the chamber-rock group Magical Beat. He directs, writes and hosts two radio programs specialized in music, on CMBF Radio Musical Nacional. These programs are: Música Antigua and Amigos de la Guitarra. He also directs and writes the Músicos en el Tiempo section on that same station.