Sylvius Leopold Weiss

 10/12/1687 – 10/16/1750

 Birthplace: Grottkau, Germany

Prolific composer for the lute and a well known player in his time. Weiss wrote over 600 lute pieces.

Ferdinando Carulli

2/9/1770 – 2/17/1841

Birthplace: Naples, Italy

Composer of over 400 works. Author of Méthode complète pour guitare ou lyre, which is still used by student guitarists today.

Fernando Sor

 2/14/1778 – 6/10/1839

 Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain

Among the countless pieces written for the guitar, Sor published "Methode pour la Guitare" in 1830, it is considered a masterpiece work that best describes the guitar playing technique.

 Mauro Giuliani

 6/27/1781 – 5/8/1829

 Birthplace: Barletta, Italy

 Mauro was a guitarist, cellist and a singer. Considered to be one of the leading guitar virtuosos of the 19^th century.

Anton Diabelli

 9/5/1781 – 4/7/1858

 Birthplace: Mattsee, Austria

Noted for arranging popular music for the masses.

Dionisio Aguado

4/8/1784 – 12/29/1849

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Well known guitarist and composer who lived briefly with Fernando Sor. Inventor of the Tripodian, a stand used to hold the guitar while playing it.

Franz Peter Schubert

 1/31/1797 – 11/19/1828

 Birthplace: Himmelpfortgrund, Vienna

 Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers of the early Romantic era. Sadly Franz died in his early thirties.

Matteo Carcassi

1792 – 1/16/1853

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Matteo lived in Paris where he taught guitar. His most famous works, 25 Etudes op. 60, are still very popular 150 years later. 

Johann Kaspar Mertz

8/17/1806 – 10/14/1856

Birthplace: Pozsony, Hungary

Virtuoso guitarist and composer who is well known for The Bardenklänge works of 1847.

Julián Arcas

1832 – 2/16/1882

Birthplace Maria, Almeria

Tarrega studied with Julian Arcas in Barcelona. Julian also worked with Antonio Torres and influenced the soundboard design of the classical guitar.

Napoléon Coste

6/27/1805 – 1/14/1883

Birthplace: Amondans, France

A French virtuoso who studied under Fernando Sor.

Francisco Tárrega

11/21/1852 – 12/15/1909

Birthplace: Villarreal, Spain

Tarrega was a prolific composer and guitarist. He is known for playing a guitar made by Torres. Many Tarrega pieces are considered classical guitar standards today.

Andrés Segovia

 2/21/1893 – 2/6/1987

 Birthplace: Linares, Spain

Mr. Segovia is considered the father of the modern classical guitar. He is well known as being the individual who established the guitar as a classical concert instrument.