World-renowned guitarist, Pablo Sáinz Villegas, dazzled Rudder Theatre with a heartfelt performance on March 26 at 7:30 PM. Known for playing in venues with audiences as large as 85,000 people, Villegas captivated the audience with a variety of pieces from famous plays and noteworthy composers.
Taking advantage of the guitar’s versatility, the show featured music from Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, Venezuelan musician Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and French guitarist Roland Dyens. Villegas even performed Leonard Bernstein’s well known “I Feel Pretty” from the musical “West Side Story” in honor of the American composer.
Villegas’ show, “‘Americano,’ The Guitar of The New World” is inspired by the musical styles of the Americas, from Brazil, to Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico and the United States, Villegas’ current home.
“So it’s a whole journey…through [the] different cultures and musical expressions of each country,” Villegas said. “So yeah, it’s a celebration of this great and vast culture which is North America all the way to South America.”
Allison Flores, business administration freshman, said she is familiar with Villegas’ style of music. With Spanish roots on her dad’s side of the family, Flores said she recognized and appreciated the traditional music during the performance.
“[My family], we listen to Spanish bolero and mariachi music,” Flores said. “I actually knew a couple of the songs and it was a really cool interpretation of it. I really liked it.”
Sarah Crouse, business administration freshman, said she enjoyed the concert and experiencing the Spanish guitar and it’s versatility.
“It was incredible, especially at certain parts when he’s playing this high part and this low part,” Crouse said. “You’re like, ‘Wait, that sounds like two different guitars going at the same part,’ but that’s just him. Like, that’s crazy.”
Villegas was introduced to the guitar at the age of six. After falling in love with the instrument, he experienced his first performance on the stage a year later.
“From the first moment, I really enjoyed playing the guitar very much,” Villegas said. “I went on stage for the first time and I really loved the being in front of people and feeling that connection through music and that connection is what has driven me to continue this path and to dedicate my life to music.”
Villegas has performed all around the world, including the 60th annual Grammy Awards this past year and has won more than 30 international awards. According to Villegas, creating music that allows people of various backgrounds to bond is something that he finds rewarding. 
“I like to say this kind of proclamation, ‘I am light in my mind, kind in my words, I am love in my heart and I am truth in my actions,” Villegas said. “’So, when you put all these four things align, then you create things,” Villegas said. “So, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to inspire and to communicate with people through music.”
Villegas said his favorite performance was at Chile’s national stadium in January. While performing with singer Placido Domingo, the crowd of 45,000 people began clapping on beat, something Villegas replicated with the crowd at Rudder Theatre during his final song.
“There are all these techniques and the musicality that allow me to then express my purpose,” Villegas said. “And spread out my message to the world. And music being a global language that is understood anywhere in the world, because music is the language of the emotions and that, for me, is where I put all the messages, in those emotions.”