Bastián Rosales, guitar prodigy, performs today at Cenart

At 11 years old, Bastián Rosales is considered a guitar virtuoso. To date, he has obtained a whopping 27 first places in competitions in Mexico and abroad, among the latter in Italy and Spain.

This does not prevent you from feeling very nervousas well as excited, ahead of the concert that he will offer today at 1:30 p.m., at the Blas Galindo Auditorium, as part of the Cañones y Cascadas cycle, organized by the National Center for the Arts in the month of Children’s Day.

The truth is I do have some nerves because I have never played in such a large auditorium; The most I have done is for 120 people.says this little boy born in Mexico City with a serious and even somewhat grim appearance, but who at the slightest opportunity smiles fully and frankly.

For the occasion, he chose a varied repertoire that testifies to his achievements in both classical and flamenco guitar, which includes music from Fernando Sor to Paco de Lucía, who is one of his idols and main references.

Sixth grade student at a trilingual school, he picked up a guitar for the first time at the age of four, encouraged by his father, Iván Rosales, who, although he is a lawyer by profession, has always liked that instrument and has even practiced it as an amateur. .

“I decided to teach my son guitar because for me it was very important that, as part of his training, he learn an instrument; I am convinced that it provides you with many benefits. But as I was teaching him, he advanced very quickly until it reached the point where I couldn’t continue doing it and I looked for teachers who would be in charge of training him. Thus he began to study with flamenco teachers like Andrés Hernández Pituquete and Gerardo Amezquita The Carrizo.”

Around the age of 7, the new performer took the turn into classical territory at the hands of guitarist Nadia Borislova, his current teacher.

To date he supports himself with private classes, but right now he is in the process of entering the UNAM Faculty of Music, with the purpose of having the renowned Mexican guitarist Juan Carlos Laguna become his mentor.

Having to choose between flamenco and classical guitar is a difficult decision for Bastián, since they are two worlds, sounds and emotional thresholds that he enjoys equally. Each one is very different; For example, classical is much calmer and expressive, and flamenco has different rhythms, it has many strums and is very passionate. That’s why I like them both a lot.Explain.

Although he rehearses between two and three hours a day, and when he has artistic commitments up to four or five, Bastián Rosales considers that he has a happy life in which he takes time, for example, to play video games with his two younger sisters.

However, assume that it is not a normal childbecause there are few who at his age, he says, They have such an advanced level on the guitarplus he doesn’t like the same music as most of his friends and colleagues. No reggaeton, please, it’s horrible.

To this he adds that he dislikes wasting time on things that may not be so important, like being glued to the cell phone, and then not getting as much out of life.

He smiles with innocent mischief when asked if he is always so serious and his younger sister shakes his finger. He doesn’t like sports much, except swimming and tennis; The first continues practicing it, while the second had to stop due to the pandemic.

The little guitarist accepts that he is interested in being famous, although only so that, in due time, admission to a renowned music school will be facilitated. He also returns to the theme of happiness and assures that he is much happier when he has the opportunity to play his guitar.

I can’t really say what I feel, but I feel a lot, and it depends on the work. If it is very calm, I relax, but if it is strong or rough, I think of scary things or something that scares me so I can do it with more enthusiasm.