Jose María GALLARDO DEL REY’s performance career took off in the city of Seville at the early age of nine. Since his debut and throughout his career, his worldwide performances drew acclamation and applause from critics and audiences alike. His name regularly adorns concert programs of theatres like the Champs Elysee of Paris, the Konzerthaus of Vienna, the Auditorium Stravinski of Montreux, the National Auditorium & the Royal Theatre of Madrid, Performance Arts Center of California and the Carnegie Hall in New York. He is one of a handful of solo players who strive to enrich the genre of chamber music. His interpretation, technique and perspective transcend the bounds of the classic guitar repertoire and the limitations imposed by the instrument. Jose Maria GALLARDO DEL REY has frequently lent his talent to different performance arts such as Ballet, Theatre, Opera, Flamenco or Jazz. His extensive academic training allowed him to develop his talent both as a composer and as a conductor. A distinguished conductor, Gallardo del Rey has conducted, among others, the Tellemann Chamber Orchestra of Osaka in the debut of Paco de Lucia in his performance of the Concierto de Aranjuez. (Japan, May 1990). He composed and interpreted the music of Alta Definición desde España, the official film of the Spanish Pavilion in World Exposition, EXPO ’92 He is the musical director of the acclaimed chamber ensemble La Maestranza a septet with whom he performs his own compositions. He performs regularly with the mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza and transcribes, especially for her, an extensive variety of voice repertoire including Opera Arias from Mozart to Bizet. He was invited to play alongside Menuhin, Rampal, Osawa and Elton John, in the celebration held in March 1997 for Rostropovich’s 70th birthday. He performed with John Williams at the most prestigious International Guitar Festival in Australia. (Darwin, 1995 & 1997) Because of his acknowledged technical and interpretative talents, Jose Maria GALLARDO DEL REY was invited to play in the opening performances of many concerts for Guitar and Orchestra. In its recent edition, The Classical Guitar hailed Jose Maria GALLARDO DEL REY as guitarist of his generation. On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Maestro Rodrigo, GALLARDO DEL REY interpreted his guitar and orchestra concerts all around the world. Recognized worldwide for his brilliant interpretation and impeccable skill, José María GALLARDO DEL REY is constantly being sought after to perform solo recitals as well as alongside world-renowned orchestras. As a result, he performed concerts all around Asia alongside different orchestras in cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, Brunei, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Bangkok, Manila, Hanoi and Tianjing. In Australia, José María GALLARDO DEL REY was the first to play works by Sainsbury and Brophy that were specially composed and dedicated to him. He played under the baton of conductors of the caliber of Frübeck de Burgos, Ros Marbá, García Asensio, García Navarro, Philippe Entremont, Raymond Calcraft, Leo Brouer and José Ramón Encinar. In Europe, José María GALLARDO DEL REY gave outstanding performances alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London; he also participated in the concert commemorating the signing of the Rome Treaty in Brussels. He gave concerts at the Champs Elysee Theatre, the Stockholm Concert House & Opera, the Dublin National Auditorium and, alongside Teresa Berganza, at the Opera Comique of Paris. In Spain, José María GALLARDO DEL REY is a regular figure on the stages of the Madrid National Auditorium, Monumental Theatre, Royal Theatre, Maestranza Theatre and Zarzuela Theatre where he performs as a solo player or as part of orchestras. Example of which is his participation at the Zarzuela Theatre in the Spanish National Ballet’s recent production of the Concierto de Aranjuez. Likewise, he was assiduously invited to the United States to give recitals and Master Classes. It was the player guitar chosen by compouser Fernando Arbex in order to make the cadenzes of the Concierto de Toledo recorded in London with the London Philaharmonic Orchestra. The CD, "The Trees Speak", published by the Deutsche Grammophon, constitutes a virtuosity exercise and the culmination of its professional career. With flamenco guitarist Juan Manuel Cañizares presented “Mano a Mano” played by hand during 2005 in the Sadler´s Well of London, the University of Washington, the Carnegie Hall of New York, Osaka and Tokio. In October 2006 has been published his second CD in Deutsche Grammophon “14 Maneras de echarte de menos” with music by Astor Piazzolla and the collaboration of the flautist Ezequiel Cortabarría.. For the coming season, José María GALLARDO DEL REY is scheduled to tour Spain, Serbia, Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Italy, México, USA, Korea, Malaysia, and China.