José María Gallardo del Rey, born in Seville, Spain, studied with the distinguished guitarist, José Tomás, and attended master-classes by Segovia, Regino Sáinz de la Maza, and Rodrigo de Zayas. He has won a number of international competitions, held important teaching posts at the Seville Conservatoire, and is now one of the leading international recitalists with a number of very successful recordings to his name.