Cristobal Selame
Cristobal Selamé
The Chilean guitarist Cristobal Selamé, described by Grammy Award winner Sérgio Assad as “inspired… every note comes straight from his heart,” is the only student ever to win the prestigious Guitar Concerto Competition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since then, Selamé has been invited to major guitar festivals, including the Mauro Biasini International Festival and Competition, where he performed the Giuliani Concerto op. 30.
Classical Guitar Magazine wrote about his performance: “…Selamé seemed to have no problems overcoming the rapid passages in the first and third movements and handled the middle Andantino with great feeling and sensitivity….”
Biography
Selamé was born in Santiago, Chile, and first came to the United States in 2012 on a short summer trip. There he met Dr. Corey Whitehead, the guitar teacher at Cal Fresno, who described Selamé as “the most talented 17-year-old classical guitarist I have met in 20 years.”
Education
He returned to the USA to study with the legendary guitarist Sérgio Assad at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned his Bachelor of Music. Later, he was admitted to the Master’s program at the Hochschule für Musik in Darmstadt under the direction of Tilman Hoppstock.
In his hometown Santiago, Selamé had previously studied with Jaime Calisto at the Modern Music Institute and with Luis Orlandini at the University of Chile.
Masterclasses
He has participated in masterclasses with world-renowned guitarists such as David Russell, Marcin Dylla, Alvaro Pierri, Richard Savino, and Manuel Barrueco.
Personal
When he is not playing guitar, Selamé enjoys hiking through his homeland Chile and exploring new places.
