Xavier Díaz-Latorre will teach at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis from the autumn semester 2024/25, succeeding Peter Croton, now also including the teaching of historical guitar instruments. We look forward to working with him!
Xavier Díaz-Latorre was born in Barcelona. Between 1985 and 1992 he won several international prizes as a classical guitarist. In 1993 he completed his guitar studies with Oscar Ghiglia at the Musikhochschule Basel. His interest in Early Music led him to subsequently study lute with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He also completed several courses in choral conducting and a postgraduate course in orchestral conducting.
He has broad experience as a soloist, director and member of ensembles, composer and lecturer:
From 1996 to 2005, he was actively involved in baroque opera and participated in important productions with conductors such as René Jacobs, Jordi Savall, Thomas Hengelbrock, Attilio Cremonesi, Wieland Kuijken and Andreas Spering. Díaz-Latorre has also worked with the Fundación del Siglo de Oro, composing and producing music for the theatre.
He leads his own vocal and instrumental ensemble, Laberintos Ingeniosos, which specialises in the performance of music from the Spanish Golden Age and also releases recordings.
Xavier Díaz-Latorre regularly takes part in major international festivals in Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South America. He is a member of renowned orchestras and chamber ensembles such as Hesperion XXI, La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert de Nations under the direction of Jordi Savall. He has also been invited to perform with other major orchestras and ensembles such as the Orquesta Nacional de España, the Ricercar Consort, The Rare Fruit Council, The Harp Consort and Al Ayre Español.
As a soloist, Xavier has recorded several CDs on guitars, 13-string lute, theorbo, baroque guitar and vihuela for Cantus-Records and Passacaille. Most recently in 2022 "Pièces pour la guitare" with music by Fernando Sor, recorded with a historical guitar from the first half of the 19th century, built by Blaise le jeune. He has been involved in over 40 other CDs and recordings.
Xavier Díaz-Latorre is currently a permanent professor of lute, basso continuo and chamber music at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) and lute teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He is a regular lecturer at the LSA (Lute Society of America) in Cleveland (Ohio), at the Amherst Early Music Festival (Connecticut) and at the Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar and has given lectures and masterclasses throughout Europe, the USA, South America, Japan and Korea.