Jose Manuel
Lezcano

Acclaimed as a virtuoso guitarist and prolific composer, Dr. José Manuel Lezcano has captivated audiences worldwide with performances that blend classical, Hispano-American, and Cuban traditions alongside his original compositions. He has performed at Carnegie Recital Hall, the North-South Consonance Series, and international festivals across Cuba, Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, China, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

Recent engagements include an Artist Residency and solo recital at the Conservatory of the Pacific (California), a premiere of “Del Himnario” in Houston’s Trinity Klein Series, and a performance of his “Concierto Cubanero” with the Sinfonica Nacional de Colombia. In 2025, he premiered his “Mojito” Concerto in New York with North-South Consonance. Mojito is an homage to Cuban popular dance rhythms of the Golden Age.
His first guitar concerto recording with North-South Consonance received critical praise from Fanfare Magazine, hailing him as “an excellent guitarist and imaginative composer.” He is a two-time Grammy nominee, MTNA Guitar Competition First Prize Winner, recipient of a Fulbright Award, and honored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Lezcano serves as an Artist Lecturer at the University of Southern Maine and Professor Emeritus at Keene State College, where he has mentored award-winning students.

Additionally, as a published scholar on South American music and indigenous ritual traditions, Dr. Lezcano has presented extensively on topics such as Inti Raymi rituals and the Latin American guitar’s cultural evolution, supported by grants from the Fulbright Commission, Whiting Foundation, and New Hampshire Humanities Council.

For concert bookings, masterclasses, or residencies, Dr. Lezcano offers performances, lectures, and engaging talks on Latin American music traditions.