Biography

“John Quijano stands at the forefront of a new generation of classical guitar virtuosos. He possesses a refined, flawless, and powerful technique, as well as an up-to-date understanding of performance practices across all stylistic periods. He communicates, motivates, and inspires with the precision of intellectual curiosity, the confidence of strength, and the capacity for passionate sensitivity. He has a proven record of musical leadership in building audiences and programs in the name of art and the profession.” — Nicholas Goluses

He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Music from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, graduating Summa Cum Laude and receiving the distinction of Meritorious Concert, under the guidance of Maestro Carlos Posada.

During his professional training, he has taken private lessons with renowned guitarists Bruce Holzman (Tallahassee) and Nicholas Goluses (Rochester). In Spain, he studied at the University of Santiago de Compostela as a scholarship recipient of the interpretation courses taught by the celebrated maestro José Luis Rodrigo.

He has performed as a concert artist at the XXXIII International Guitar Festival of Morelia (Mexico), the Mangostino de Oro Festival 2023, the Fifth International Guitar Meeting of the University of Cauca (Popayán), the El Nogal Guitar Festival of the National Pedagogical University (2022), the 10th International Guitar Meeting at Compensar, the 5th International Festival of the Fernando Sor School of Music, and the Uniquindío GuitarArt Festival. In the United States, he has appeared as a Guest Artist with the Department of Music at Oral Roberts University (Tulsa), among others.

In March 2009, he won the Young Performers Competition of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He has been a guitar soloist with the Colombian Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Tolima Conservatory Orchestra.

He has served as a guitar instructor for the Master’s Program in Music at Universidad Central and for the Colombian Youth Symphony Orchestra. Since 2016, he has held the Guitar Chair at the Conservatory of Music of Tolima, where he continues to teach today.