Fabio Zanon

Guitarist Fabio Zanon entered the world in Jundiaí within Brazil’s São Paulo state on March 6, 1966. Initial instruction came from his father, after which Antonio Guedes guided his progress; he later enrolled at São Paulo University for work with Edelton Gloeden and Henrique Pinto. Upon completing his undergraduate music degree he pursued advanced training at London’s Royal Academy of Music under Michael Lewin, receiving a master’s degree in 1993, and he also participated in master classes led by Julian Bream.

His first major competition successes occurred in 1996, when he captured first prize at both the Guitar Foundation of America Competition in the United States and the Francisco Tarrega Competition in Spain. The following year brought his debut recording, Villa-Lobos: The Complete Solo Guitar Music, issued by MusicMasters, and he received Brazil’s Moinho Santista Award in the same season. In 1998 he stepped in at short notice to make his debut with a major orchestra, joining the London Philharmonic for Astor Piazzolla’s guitar concerto.

Zanon has since appeared as soloist in more than fifty countries, performing at Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Carnegie Hall in New York, and other prominent halls, and collaborating with ensembles that include the London Philharmonic, the São Paulo Symphony, Dublin’s RTÉ Symphony, and the Russian State Orchestra. He has also concertized throughout the United States and Europe as well as across South America and as far as Russia. His extensive discography, issued on the Meridian, Nimbus, and Naxos labels among others, centers chiefly on Latin American repertoire; the São Paulo Symphony’s recording of Francis Hime: Concerto para violão and Nelson Ayres: Concertino para percussão e orquestra earned a Latin Grammy nomination. In 2024 he was featured on the Naxos album Francisco Mignone: Concertos and Concertinos, performing that composer’s Guitar Concerto.