¿Who is Josep Henríquez?


· JOSEP HENRÍQUEZ

Born in Barcelona in 1951, is a versatile artist: guitarist, teacher, composer, arranger, lecturer, author, designer and guitar maker.


As a guitarist, Henríquez has played concerts and given master classes of Classical Guitar in all continents for more than forty-five years. Nowadays his concert career is still active, playing concerts as soloist or forming a duo together with his son Patrick (electric guitar), an unusual and attractive musical combination in the guitar scene.


He has made five recordings: two as a member of the Guitar Quartet Tarragó, two recitals as soloist and one in duo with his pupil Hang Nguyen.

As a pedagogue, in 1981, Maestro Henríquez was appointed guitar professor at the Music and Arts Institute of San Francisco, California. From 1982 to 2013, he was Head of the Guitar Department at the Music Conservatory of Granollers, Barcelona. In 1992, invited by the Spanish Government, Henríquez created the "Aula de Guitarra Andrés Segovia" at the Central Conservatory of Music in Peking (China). Due to his knowledge and experience, Maestro Henríquez is often requested to give master classes and workshops in different Universities, Conservatories of Music and Guitar Festivals around the World. Actually, he is Professor of classical guitar at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (S.I.V.A.), through Detao Masters Academy.

As a luthier, Henríquez started in 1993 under the guidance of Antonio Picado, excellent guitar maker --- and admirable friend. Josep Henrìquez has his workshop in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Barcelona, and is highly involved in the design and construction of classical and flamenco guitars.


· RECORDINGS

If you are interested in buying any CD, please contact Josep Henríquez.


· GUITARS MADE BY JOSEP HENRÍQUEZ

"A new experience playing a Spanish Guitar"

Josep Henríquez' personal, atypical design and construction puts his guitars in a new concept in the guitar making. The shape has an exclusive cutaway, starting on the 13th fret, allowing the guitarist to gain comfortable access to the higher register of the instrument.

He uses contemporary and personal craftsmanship methods, but always respecting the characteristics of the tradition of Spanish guitars: warm and powerful sound as well as projection.

Outside, the shape of the guitar remarks its beauty from the crone of the head to the tip of the belly. A beautiful and strong two strips of ebony reinforces the neck, which makes possible to make a narrower thickness, allowing a confortable play for the left hand. The fingerboard has 20 frets.

On the trebles side there are 13 frets to the body of the guitar, making access to the higher register notes more comfortably. The volume of the instrument remains unchanged from a standard guitar, as the little cutaway (2cm) is compensated by the width of the waist, 1cm wider.

Inside, the change from the usual fan strutting of the soundboard is also an innovation, in the form of a starfish, which is different from the traditional Spanish guitar. This distribution creates a good balance between high and low notes and a powerful sound.

All Model Master and Flamenco guitars made by Josep Henríquez are hand finished with French polish varnish.

All in all, it is a guitar with personality, great power and beautiful sound, made with the best materials and first class noble and solid woods.





GUITARS MADE BY JOSEP HENRÍQUEZ / MODELS & GALLERY



· CARE AND PRESERVATION OF THE GUITAR

A well-looked after guitar can last many years.

In order to keep the guitar in good condition, without breaking the woods or adhesive bonding, the first thing that we have to bear in mind is to avoid a sudden change of temperature and humidity.

The ideal room temperature should be between 15º and 22º Centigrade, and the humidity between 45% and 65%. In wintertime, the instrument should not be exposed to an extreme cold, neither close to any heater. In summertime, be careful with the dryness and heat. Sweat from your body, in the long term, is also harmful, thus, when playing it is highly recommended that you should cover the guitar at contact points with chamois leather: this will protect the varnish and frame of the instrument.

When you have finish playing, wipe the entire guitar, including the strings, thoroughly and keep the instrument inside its case to avoid knocking it and protect it against changes of temperature and dirt.


· WHO PLAYS HENRÍQUEZ' GUITARS?

Concert players who like to use Henríquez' guitars

· Brazilian guitarist Yamandú Costa. His CD “LIDA” was all recorded with a 7 string guitar exclusively made for him by Josep Henríquez.
· Vietnamese guitarists Hang Nguyen and Chung Kim always play on Henríquez’ guitars.
· Some Chinese students in Shanghai, China, and many guitarists from other countries use to play Josep Henríquez' guitars.


· SPECIAL THANKS



· CONTACT

Josep Henríquez

Wentao

Hang Nguyen Thanh