Juan Orozco
Juan Orozco III ( born April 14, 1937 in Madrid ) is a Spanish luthier, string producers, concert promoters and musicians, who now lives in Puerto Rico. He was known primarily as a luthier named after him, his models and as a concert promoter in New York City.
Life
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Juan Orozco came at a young age with guitars in contact. His father, Juan Orozco II, was luthier by trade. As this 1947 touring in Europe music group " Los Indios Tabajaras " showed his guitar at a concert, he told the musicians that there are hardly trained luthiers in South America.
In 1950 Juan Orozco II moved the entire family to Sao Paolo, Brazil, and five years later on in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo. At that time, Juan Orozco II, the only luthier in Uruguay. Juan Orozco III wanted to go to his school days at first not occur and began to study architecture in the footsteps of his father. He gave this path ultimately to the benefit of his father's craft on to found his first guitar factory at the age of 23 years.
Guitars and strings
Juan Orozco founded in March 1960 by means of the owner of the biggest music shop in Montevideo his first guitar factory. To market his guitars, he traveled in April 1962 for three weeks with the Latin American trio " Los Panchos " to New York, United States. There, Juan Orozco had talks with potential buyers of its instruments. However, it turned out quickly that the demand in the U.S. is much larger than expected. With full order books Juan Orozco returned and prepared, at this time for the American market, all instruments in its factory in Uruguay.
Due to the deteriorating political and economic conditions in Uruguay (see History of Uruguay ), Juan Orozco entschiedt for a move to New York City. In the 156 W 48th Street, where he opened his first business in April 1964. On the same premises today musical instruments are sold. In this business, Juan Orozco not only offers guitars from other manufacturers, but also continue manufacturing their own models. The duo " Los Indios Tabajaras " for example, referred by him special.
As a luthier Juan Orozco was aware of the potential of classical guitars, but was equally convinced that the quality of the existing strings do not do justice was. Therefore, since 1968, he is under the brand name " Aranjuez " itself forth strings. After only two years on the market, the strings were so popular that the company Boosey & Hawkes for Europe and Kohno secure the exclusive distribution rights for Japan.
Because he was inspired, among others, the guitar brands Matsuoka, Aria and Kohno, he traveled in 1969 for the first time to Japan and buy handmade guitars for his New York business that now 6th Avenue and Spring Street on the 14th floor is located in 155 W. The connection to Japan remained over the years there are so Juan Orozco 1976/77 was able to acquire the machines of mass Hirade. This has worked since 1968 for Takamine. From 1975 Takamine expanded internationally and Mass Hirade took over the presidency of the Japanese luthier, so he wanted to sell his machines. This equipment is still in the possession of Juan Orozco.
From 1977/78 Juan Orozco is instrumental in the development of high quality classical guitars. In cooperation with Hoshino Gakki (brand owner of Tama and Ibanez ) and together with the Japanese guitar makers Kohno, Sakurai and Matsuoka, the internationally acclaimed models # 8, # 10 and # 15 which are currently to purchase only on the used market arise. Models # 8 and # 10 had a solid spruce top and back / sides of Indian rosewood. The top model no. 15, however, had a floor of rosewood ( Dalbergia nigra). At the start of production do not have a headstock is reminiscent of the typical Fleta style Orozco guitars. This will later be replaced by a headstock that was characteristic of Orozco's guitars.
Orozco guitars are in demand at this time all over the world, so he co-founded, inter alia, a famous shop in Paris. The " La Guitarrera " has existed since 1982 to today.
Since 1986, Juan Orozco also offers Spanish classical guitars under the brand " Artesano " to.
Commitment to culture and concerts
The guitar shops of Juan Orozco were never just pure sales rooms but always also a meeting place for guitarists and cultural center of the scene. He is actively engaged in the popularization of Spanish music in NY. For this, he starts the concert series " New Talents in Concert" and " Juan Orozco presents: ". A former customer writes: "I met Narciso Yepes for the first time in 1972 in Juan Orozco's guitar shop, which was the center of the New York guitar scene at that time. " (Original quote: " I met Narciso Yepes for the first time in 1972, at Juan Orozco 's Guitar shop on West 56th Street which was the center of the guitar world in New York did at time. " )
Juan Orozco also founded the " National Guitar Institute " where he employs up to 78 guitar teacher. Among the guitar courses, there are also master classes from artists performing at Juan Orozco (including Narciso Yepes, Los Romeros, Celedonio Romero, Pepe Romero, Angel Romero, Manuel Barrueco, Manolo Sanlúcar, Carlos Barbosa -Lima and Ernesto Bitetti ). In addition, supported Juan Orozco from the late 1970s until the early 1980s, the weekly radio program "Guitar Around the World". They were listening to both classical guitarists in the first half of the 20th century as well as young talents.
Awards
Juan Orozco was awarded by King Juan Carlos I in 1977 due to its important contribution to the dissemination of Spanish culture, the Officer's Cross of the Civil Merit.