Our history
Fernando Moreno Guitar School
The Fernando Moreno Guitar School was founded in 1994 by the great guitarist from Jerez.
Since 2013 the school is under the direction of guitarists Isaac Moreno and Davinia Ballesteros. Isaac Moreno is the first graduate in music with the specialty of flamenco guitar in the province of Cadiz. Heir to the guitar school of his father, the great Jerez-born guitarist Fernando Moreno, he has extensive professional concert and teaching experience. Davinia Ballesteros is the first woman from Malaga with a degree in music specializing in flamenco guitar, with a degree in classical guitar and a diploma in teaching.
Our philosophy
Effort
Our philosophy is to transmit to the students the importance of enjoying what they do, the love of music, companionship, knowledge of music and the instrument itself, as well as healthy study habits and the discipline of the instrument closest to our culture.
Our philosophy
Effort
Our philosophy is to transmit to the students the importance of enjoying what they do, the love of music, companionship, knowledge of music and the instrument itself, as well as healthy study habits and the discipline of the instrument closest to our culture.
Facilities
Our facilities have recently been completely refurbished and extended. The process has been carried out by professional specialists under the guidance of acoustic and sound engineers. The new school has the necessary resources and technology, modern materials and soundproofing techniques in walls, floors and ceilings, as well as different environments and spaces for the correct development of our activity. All of this in compliance with current legislation.
Thanks to this comprehensive renovation, it has been possible to build a modern recording studio where students can experience the sensations of a musical recording process for the first time. This facility is also perfect for giving individual classes in its two variants: face-to-face, where the student will enjoy a quiet and comfortable space; online, where the student will have the best acoustic-environmental conditions.
In our school you will find a shop area with top brand products at your disposal.
Our fully open-plan auditorium can seat approximately 100 people. This room has a stage, a 70″ plasma screen, 400w surround sound, a light set for daily and concert… an ideal space for the correct development of concerts, conferences, master classes, presentations, etc.
This is why our school puts Jerez at the forefront of teaching, with the best infrastructure as well as the only teachers in the province with degrees in different specialities.
Class modalities
We give classes at all levels all year round. In order to extend our borders, we have online classes, so distance is no longer a problem. We are happy to cater for students of any nationality, for which we have a B2 qualification in English from the University of Cambridge. For us there is no age limit when it comes to learning and our philosophy is to transmit to our students the importance of enjoying what they do, the love of music, companionship, knowledge of music and the instrument itself, as well as healthy study habits and the discipline of the instrument that is closest to our culture.
Group classes
Our large classroom for this type of classes allows us to accommodate groups of students more comfortably. For us, group classes do not imply that the students in the group have the same level, the same tastes, nor that they have to share the same musical material. Our learning philosophy (backed by more than 25 years of experience) is to work to give each student what they need. That is why in our group classes you will find the particularity of being attended individually to get the most out of each student. We have two teachers in each class at the same time, which considerably improves the attention received. However, there are occasional group activities in class that encourage group work and integration.
Individual classes
Our recording studio is the ideal space for the correct development of this type of classes. It consists of a fully soundproofed, air-conditioned cabin with audiovisual support, where the student will enjoy all the comforts. These classes are specifically tailored to the student in order to meet their musical needs in theoretical, technical and practical aspects.
Accompanying classes
In all musical styles, in addition to solo performance, there is ensemble work. Just as flamenco accompanies singing and dancing, in other styles the soloist’s playing is combined with other instruments and/or the voice. These variants require specific qualities from the instrumentalist, which you will be able to acquire thanks to the academic training and experience of our teachers.
Online classes
For our school, distance is no longer a problem. Wherever you live you can book your lessons online. All you need is an account on one of the different platforms we use.
Faculty
Davinia Ballesteros
She is the first woman from Malaga with a degree in music specialising in flamenco guitar, as well as a degree in classical guitar and a diploma in teaching.
Fernando Moreno
Fernando Moreno was born in Jerez de la Frontera in 1960. Although he has no family background in guitar playing, he does have a family background in singing, which he began to learn in his family. His love of music led him from a very young age to take classes from the man who would become his main teacher: Rafael del Águila, from where he would go on to the Flamencology Chair and share artistic experiences in peñas and meetings with other Jerez flamenco artists such as Manuel Jero and Tio Borrico.
At the age of fifteen he moved to Madrid, where he lived for several years and where he began a professional career in the main ballets of the Villa y Corte, such as those of María Rosa and Manuela Vargas. With them he has toured the main theatres of Spain, Italy and the world…
In Madrid he joined the world of the tablaos in such a way that “Los Canasteros” or “El Corral de la Pacheca” would be the stages that would definitively mark his guitar training as an accompaniment to singing and dancing, and which in time would become one of the most defining guitars of the genuinely Jerez style of guitar playing.
It is worth mentioning the wide variety of records that feature the musical collaboration of Fernando Moreno. He accompanied his uncle Luis “El Elegante”, Los Guadalqueños, Fernando Terremoto, Nano de Jerez, Coral de los Reyes, María José Santiago, Joaquín “El Zambo”, José Vargas “El Mono de Jerez”, Juan Zarzuela, many of the recordings of Jerez’s “Villancicos Flamencos” ….. He has musically produced the album “Sabor Jerez” with the group of the same name that he coordinates and directs, with which he already has two albums and two DVDs.
He is a regular presence at the most important flamenco festivals in Spain, from the Viernes Flamencos or the Fiesta de la Bulería in his hometown to the Bienal de Flamenco in Seville, as well as in flamenco peñas all over the country, without distinction of creed or aesthetic, as he is distinguished by his impressive versatility and expressive plurality. His presence on TV, especially in flamenco programmes, is common, both as a soloist and accompanying flamenco singers such as: José Mercé, Fernando “de la Morena”, María Soleá, Tomasa “La Macanita”, Elu de Jerez, Rancapino, Luis “de la Pica”, Sordera de Jerez, Manuel Agujetas, Juan Moneo “El Torta”, Ripol, Manuel Moneo, Chano Lobato, Mariana Cornejo, Capullo de Jerez, Luis “El Zambo”, Rocio Segura, Melchora Ortega, Carmen Jara, Macarena de Jerez, Ana Reberte, José de la Tomasa, El Lebrijano, Romereito de Jerez, Manuel Jerena, Chato de la Isla, Chocolate. …
He has performed in theatres such as Villa Marta in Jerez, Falla in Cádiz, Lope de Vega in Madrid and Seville, Lara in Madrid, Central in Seville, Greck in Barcelona, Palau de la Música in Barcelona and Valencia. He has also shared recitals with guitarists of the stature of Paco Cepero, Gerardo Núñez, Enrique de Melchor and others: Paco Cepero, Gerardo Núñez, Enrique de Melchor….
Among his awards and tributes of recognition, it is worth mentioning the one awarded by the Cátedra de Flamencología “Copa Jerez” to the best guitarist, and the mention at the Bienal de Sevilla in 2000 as the best accompanying guitarist.