Cecilio Perera is an internationally acclaimed guitarist who stands out for his musicality, expressiveness and virtuosity. His broad and versatile repertoire includes Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary works, as well as music from Latin American folklore and other genres. He teaches guitar at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.
Cecilio Perera was born in 1983 in Mérida, Yucatán, México. He began playing the guitar at an early age under the guidance of his brother Pedro Perera, and was later taught by Ricardo Vega at the José Jacinto Cuevas Music School in his hometown. From 1999 to 2005, he studied at the Faculty of Music of the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Veracruz, under the direction of Alfredo Sánchez and Consuelo Bolio. He continued his training at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Eliot Fisk and Ricardo Gallén (guitar) and Matthias Seidel (chamber music), graduating with distinction. He also studied early music with Hans Brüderl and new music with Simone Fontanelli.
He regularly gives solo concerts and performs with orchestral ensembles in countries across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia. He has appeared as a soloist in major concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Festspielhaus and Mozarteum Großer Saal in Salzburg, the Brucknerhaus in Linz, Erl Festspielhaus, the Opera House in Qingdao, the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg, the NDR Großer Sendesaal in Hanover, the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, the NEC Jordan Hall in Boston, the Sala Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico City, the Amadeo Roldán Theatre in Havana and the National Theatre of Costa Rica. He also participates in many radio and television events in countries he visits.
Orchestras he was worked with include the Salzburg Philharmonic, the Qingdao China Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Hermitage Orchestra, the Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg, the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, the Italian Orchestra Naonis Musical Academy, the Vivaldi Conservatory Orchestra of Alessandria, the Youth Orchestra of Valencia, the Almería Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, the OFUNAM Philharmonic Orchestra, the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra, the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nuevo León Symphony Orchestra, the Michoacán Symphony Orchestra, the Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra, the Acapulco Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chihuahua Symphony Orchestra.
Cecilio Perera’s repertoire covers everything from medieval and renaissance lute music to contemporary works written for him by composers such as Leo Brouwer, Simone Fontanelli, Clarice Assad, Julio César Oliva, Michele Lanari, Ernesto Lunagómez and Cuberto Córdova. He is a passionate chamber musician and frequently performs with violinists, flautists, cellists, singers, string quartets and various other musical groups.
Since 2022 he has been Artistic Director of the concert series "Treffpunkt Solitär: Die Gitarre".
- Silver Medal, Berlin International Music Competition (for all instruments) 2019.
- Medal -Ricardo Palmerín- for his artistic merit in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, 2016.
- First Prize at the XXXII International Guitar Competition in Volos, Greece, 2015.
- The Golden Guitar, prize awarded in Alessandria, Italy, 2012.
- First prize at the 44th Michele Pittaluga International Competition for Classical Guitar in Alessandria, Italy, 2011.
- First prize at the III. International Guitar Competition in Boston, USA, 2008.
- First prize at the VII. International Guitar Competition in Petrer, Spain, 2008.
- First prize at the III Corelli Chamber Music Competition at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, 2007.
- First prize at the XII. International Guitar Competition-Festival, "Leo Brouwer" Havana, Cuba, 2004.
- First prize at the V-Guitar Competition in Taxco, Mexico, 2002.
- First prize at the XI International Guitar Competition in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, 2001.
- Second prize at the VII. International Guitar Competition "Julian Arcas" in Almeria, Spain 2006.
- Second prize at the II International Guitar Competition "Norba Caesarina" in Caceres, Spain 2006.
- National Prize of Youth in Arts 2003 given by the President of Mexico.
- Second Prize at the International Congress and Competition of the Guitar Foundation of America, 2003.
- Yolotl Prize in the II National Youth Guitar Competition YÓLOTL 2000, Mexico 2000.