BIBLIOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE

 

16, 17, 18 June 2023

Centre Cultural El Carme
C. Francesc Layret, 78-82, Badalona
 
  

José Luis Romanillos was one of the most influential guitar makers of the 20th century. His legacy as a luthier, teacher and historian of the guitar is and will be a source of information and inspiration for guitarists and luthiers of several generations.  

 

A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE

In addition to his activity as a guitar builder, José Luis Romanillos' capacity as a disseminator and teacher is also outstanding.

He gave courses on the construction of the Spanish guitar in Spain and other countries, as well as lectures and seminars on the organology of the instrument. Many of his students are today guitar makers of great prestige.

Equally remarkable is his work as a researcher. He studied in depth the technique and work of Antonio de Torres, exhaustively tracing and cataloguing his guitars, a task in which he had the essential collaboration of his wife Marian Harris.

José Luis and Marian carried out this and other important research and dissemination work together, the result of which has been numerous articles, conferences given all over the world and three books of absolute reference in the world of the guitar:

José Luis Romanillos y Marian Harris. Foto: Josep Melo 

 

Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker
His Life & Work
  
The Vihuela de Mano and the Spanish Guitar
  
Making a Spanish Guitar
The book that helped to recover and understand the figure of Antonio de Torres, a guitar maker who is considered the father of the modern Spanish guitar.
  
Complete dictionary of guitar makers 
  
Manual-compendium of construction of the Spanish guitar where Romanillos explains in detail his process of building a concert guitar.
 

 

During the International Luthier Festival, the bibliography exhibition was located next to the guitar exhibition. These publications, as well as others related to José Luis Romanillos and his legacy, could be consulted and purchased there:

 

 

MEDIO SIGLO - The Art and Sound of José Romanillos

MEDIO SIGLO is an exclusive record-book, containing José Luis Romanillos' favourite guitar pieces, performed on Romanillos guitars by Antigoni Goni, in some cases as a soloist and in others as a duo or trio with the other two members of the Volterra Project Trio, Luca Isolani and Maarten Vandenbemden. 

A special edition has been produced in vinyl record format. In this classic presentation, the LP album is accompanied by a booklet with high quality photographic material, texts and personal memories of Romanillos and Marian, beautifully presented in a numbered slipcase, personally signed by Antigoni Goni and Marian Harris.

 

 

JOSÉ LUIS ROMANILLOS - GUITARRAS DE LA ÉPOCA DE GUIJOSA (1993-2015)

Extraordinary book by Josep Melo i Valls, dedicated to the guitars that Romanillos built in his workshop in Guijosa, in Sigüenza (Guadalajara). It is an exhaustive work of documentation, carried out over fifteen years, in which he shows us the instruments with a great profusion of data and with photographic reproductions of the guitars of very high quality and ... life-size!

 

 

 

PHOTO REPORT:

 

Bibliography area of the exhibition. Consultation and sale of books and records.

 

The album Medio Siglo, a tribute project to José Luis Romanillos produced by Antigoni Goni and
his widow Marian Harris.
 
 
 
Marian Harris and Liam Romanillos writing dedications to book buyers.

 

Marian Harris, Antigoni Goni and Liam Romanillos at the exhibition entrance.

 

 

ALL THE IMAGES:
 
(Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the picture)
 

 

 

 

Go back to the Festival PROGRAMME