Music Proficiency Courses - Summer 2010 · Unicaja Foundation

He participated in several competitions, and won First Prize at the Sarasate Competition (Madrid) during his last years of study, as well as First Prize with medal in the Isidro Gyenes, XXV Edition, and Second Prize at the National Interpretation Competition. He was honoured at the Soloist Competition obtaining the best string player prize at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. He also received the Advantage Certificate from Juilliard School of Music.

He has concertized throughout the United States, Canada, South-America, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Lebanon, Holland, Hungary, Italy, France and Spain, appearing as soloist with the Spanish Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Queen Sofia Chamber Orchestra, Malaga Symphony Orchestra, Balears Symphony Orchestra, Community of Madrid Chamber Orchestra, Villa of Madrid Chamber Orchestra, Vallés Symphony Orchestra, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Extremadura Symphony Orchestra,  Camerata of Madrid, etc.

He gave the first performance of Barber Violin Concerto in Spain with the Pablo de Sarasate Chamber Orchestra.
In 1996, Mr. Guillén made his first tour of the United States playing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Oregon and performing several premieres for Violin and Piano by Spanish Composers.

Very important Spanish composers has written for this violinist: Claudio Prieto, C. Cruz de Castro, Zulema de la Cruz, Luis de Pablo, Áton García Abril, Leonardo Balada, Joan Guinjoan,  David del Puerto, Salvador Brotons, Gabriel Fdez. Álvez, Tomás Marco, José Luis Turína,  Mario Gosálvez, Jesús Rueda, Juan Medina, Jesús Torres, Cesar Camarero, José Zarate, J. de Dios García, Ramón Paus, etc.

He already had done Nine World Premieres Violin Concertos, after by G.F. Álvez, David del Puerto, Mario Gosálvez (2), Tomas Marco,  Salvador Brotons and Zulema de la Cruz (3).

Mr. Guillén had recorder several CD’s unrecorded works for Violin and Piano by Spanish Composers XIXth. century like Joaquin Nín, Several Records Company "Tañidos", Madrid, Spain. recently he had recorder a CD with works for violin and piano and for two violins by Jesús de Monasterio by the SedeM Records Company. Other recordings for Tañidos Company, Stradivarius, Hungaraton, RTVE, RNE… He had recorded a doble Cd for Autor record company inciuding 21 works for solo violín of very important Spanish composers. Mr. Guillén he just recorded a new released including works for violin and piano by P. de Sarasate and a CD for Hungaraton records company with the work for Violin, Cello and Guitar by Isidro Laporta, and Antonio Ximenez composers from XVIII century.

He had been invited concertmaster with Sarasate Pamplona orchestra and Spanish Radio Television orchestra and durung 10 years concertmaster of Queen Sofia Chamber Orchestra. He is now Concertmaster and conducter of Camerata of Madrid Chamber Orchestra; He is professor of Violin at the Royal Superior Conservatory of Music Madrid.

He just played the premiere in Spain of Leo Brouwer violin concerto at the National Auditorium in Madrid wit the  Maestro Brouwer  as conducter.

Manuel Guillén is considerate one of the most importants specialist in Spanish music for violín.

Mr. Guillén performs on a T. Carcassi violin dated in 1767.