Andrés Segovia
The man who single-handedly transformed the classical guitar from a tavern instrument into a concert hall powerhouse.
1893–1987 (age 94)·Spanish guitarist·Birthday: February 21·The Lost Generation
Biography
Andrés Segovia didn't just play the guitar; he willed an entire musical tradition into being. As a self-taught boy in rural Spain, he became obsessed with an instrument then considered fit only for flamenco and folk music. With sheer determination and a revolutionary technique—using his fingernails to produce a richer, more orchestral tone—he began a lifelong crusade. He convinced skeptical audiences and staid composers that the guitar belonged on the world's most prestigious stages. Segovia didn't merely perform; he curated. He transcribed centuries of keyboard and lute music, building a repertoire from scratch, and he commissioned contemporary giants like Heitor Villa-Lobos and Manuel Ponce to write for him, creating a new canon. His playing was characterized by a profound, singing warmth and architectural phrasing. Through his countless recitals and teachings, he created a global lineage of guitarists, ensuring the instrument's place in serious music was permanent and profound.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Andrés was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrés Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Andrés's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 50
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 60
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 70
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 80
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1987Died at 94
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Almost single-handedly established the classical guitar as a respected solo instrument in international concert halls.
- Commissioned and premiered dozens of major works from composers like Villa-Lobos, creating the modern guitar repertoire.
- Developed a influential technical approach using fingernails to pluck the strings, expanding the instrument's tonal range.
- Was awarded Spain's hereditary noble title, Marquis of Salobreña, for his cultural contributions.
Did You Know?
He was largely self-taught, developing his technique in isolation.
He made his American debut at New York's Town Hall in 1928.
He taught many of the 20th century's most prominent guitarists, including John Williams and Julian Bream.
He played a guitar with strings made of animal gut until the 1960s, long after nylon became standard.
“The guitar is a small orchestra. It is polyphonic. Every string is a different color, a different voice.”
