User:Leoabuendia/sandbox

My name is Leonardo Buendia. I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a city steeped in tango and folklore music. The evocative croon of Atahualpa Yupanqui and invigorating dissonance of Astor Piazzolla’s Nuevo Tango stirred me to shift my focus and become a musician.

My fingers, ears, and spirit were awakened when the guitar became a part of my life. I studied popular Argentine music in the Music Conservatory Leopoldo Marechal, while concurrently studying tango privately with Master Anibal Arias. When I decided to buy a high quality classical guitar, I paid visit to many of Buenos Aires’ guitar makers. Weeks later, still empty handed, I decided to build the elusive guitar myself.

I started my studies of guitar making with Master Luthier Ezequiel Moggia, a student of the renowned Luthier Francesco Ponzo. Later, I moved to California, where I was apprenticing to Master Luthier Ervin Somogyi for 3 years. Parallel to this full-time training in the construction of acoustic guitars, I build my own guitars, drawing my inspiration from the responsiveness and visual style that characterize the world-renowned craftsmanship of my teacher.