REVIEWS
“[Mr. Roldán] is an excellent musician, an exciting soloist and sensitive accompanist…”
Soundboard
"Absolutely poetic and mesmerizing playing. A truly wonderful evening."
Claudia Dumschat, Organist and Choirmaster, Church of the Transfiguration, NYC
“Francisco Roldán recently played a return engagement concert on our chamber series at Riverside Church. He performed with subtlety and marvelous attention to detail. His repertoire was varied and interesting, and he engaged the audience throughout with his beautiful musical interpretations and polished technique.”
Christopher Creaghan, Associate Organist, The Riverside Church, NYC
"Francisco Roldán interpreted the Aranjuez with a maximum display of technique and security...showing exquisiteness and dominion."
La Voz Hispana
"Mr. Roldán gave a performance of the Krenek Suite as good as I have ever heard...his Invocación y la danza was played with technical dominion..."
Soundboard
"Mr. Roldán is a virtuoso and interprets the music with a magical tone..."
Noticias del Mundo
"Francisco Roldán played [the songs] with enough energy to draw the ear, but not so much as to overwhelm the singers".
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times
"Mr. Roldán is clearly a virtuoso and an asset to the Colombian community..."
Noticiero Colombiano e Hispano
FRANCISCO ROLDÁN
Classical Guitar
Guitarist Francisco Roldán has performed around the world as a soloist and in chamber music, nationally and internationally. Mr. Roldán is also the Executive Director of Musica De Camara, a non-for profit organization based in New York City whose mission is to promote Latin American/Hispanic composers and musicians. He has performed in Portugal, Greece, Russia, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Lithuania and Paraguay as well as throughout the U.S., including concerts at Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, for Lincoln Center’s Local Live Concerts and Artists Outreach Programs, Bargemusic, Wave Hill Gardens, CAMI Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mannes Guitar Festival, Symphony Space, Riverside Church (Christ Chapel) and the Mid-Hudson Classical Guitar Society in New York, Harmony Hall in Maryland, the Connecticut Guitar Festival, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, ArtsQuest and MusikFest in Pennsylvania, for the Philadelphia Guitar Society, the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, the Puffin Gallery, the Colombian Consulates in New York and Boston, the Smithsonian Library, the Museum of the City of New York, Round Top Music Festival, the Spanish Institute, Gracie Mansion, and at the Americas Society, as well as at various universities and libraries.
In addition, Mr. Roldan accompanied acclaimed flamenco dancer Pilar Rioja at the Repertorio Español theatre in NYC for 8 seasons. He has performed Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in publicly and critically acclaimed performances. He has also played various concerti and has participated in numerous chamber music recitals with choruses, singers and instrumentalists. In 2018, he was invited to perform in a tribute concert for the first visit to the U.S. of the renowned Cuban master and composer Leo Brouwer.
Francisco Roldán has released 5 recordings: Latin Guitar, in which he interprets the music of Barrios, Lauro, and which contains the world premiere recording of the Dominican composer Rafael Landestoy's complete works for guitar - Almost All Bach, in which he performs the music of Bach and Scarlatti - ZigZag, performed with his ZigZag Quartet, and contains music of Boccherini, Bolling, Gnattali, Landestoy and Piazzolla - his recording with soprano Gretchen Farrar, Interweaving - and Instruments of the People, with percussionist Danny Mallon. All are available at cdbaby.com, iTunes and Amazon.
Francisco Roldán has a Master's Degree in Performance from the Mannes College of Music. Soon after graduation, as winner of the Artists International Competition, he performed a New York debut recital at the Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, which launched his career as a soloist.
Francisco Roldán is currently on the faculty of the Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division and at the Alexander Robertson School. He is also a founding member of the ZigZag Quartet, Interweaving, Compass, Bellezas and Instruments of the People.
His recordings can be heard on Pandora, Spotify and other music streaming apps.