Antonio Lauro (Venezuela, 1917-1986)

Tomás Antonio Lauro was born on August 3rd, 1917 in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.

His father, Antonio Lauro, was an Italian barber and musician from Pizzo Calabro.

He made his musical studies in Caracas in the “Academia de Música y Declamación” with Vicente Emilio Sojo, Juan Bautista Plaza and Salvador Llamozas.

He studied guitar under the guidance of Raúl Borges.

Among the disciples of Borges there were several prominent guitarists like Alirio Díaz, Flaminia De Sola, and Manuel Enrique Pérez Díaz.

Antonio Lauro got the degree of “Master in Composition” in 1940.

Almost all the musical production by Antonio Lauro is written for guitar. Lauro is hailed as one of the most significant composers for guitar during the twentieth century. The “Suite Venezolana” and the “Sonata” for guitar, along with two concertos for Guitar and Orchestra, and many Venezuelan waltzes are some of the remarkable guitar compositions written by Antonio Lauro.

He was the director of the “Raúl Borges” guitar trio. Along with Flaminia De Sola and Antonio Ochoa, this trio was very successful due to the outstanding guitar performance as well as the musical arranges for three guitar made by Antonio Lauro.

Lauro died on the 18th of April, 1986.

“El Marabino” is one of his most popular Venezuelan waltzes among Venezuelan guitarists and guitar students.

The principal melodic phrase in this composition is based upon four notes that resemble a characteristic whistling that the people from Maracaibo, a city in Venezuela, use to call somebody´s attention. Hence the name “El Marabino” (from the city of Maracaibo). The four notes of this whistling are the initial notes of this waltz: “e-a-g-b”.

Classical Guitar Music