About us
Cecilia Sáenz
I was born in Argentina in 1977 from a large family and a music lover. I studied cello and in 1999 I met Santiago who introduced me to the world of lutherie.
In 2003 we settled in Barcelona where I met Raúl Yagüe from whom I learned the trade of guitar building (and many jokes) and then I met Juan Antonio Reyes Torres who gave us all his knowledge and friendship with great generosity (thank you Juan). Today I am a mother of two girls and a passionate about my work; guitar builder!
In 2003 we settled in Barcelona where I met Raúl Yagüe from whom I learned the trade of guitar building (and many jokes) and then I met Juan Antonio Reyes Torres who gave us all his knowledge and friendship with great generosity (thank you Juan). Today I am a mother of two girls and a passionate about my work; guitar builder!
Santiago Canals
I was born in 1977 in the city of Mar del Plata where I began to study guitar with Professor Ricardo Gonzalez Longo and since then I had a very special sensitivity with the guitar and wood, so I began to attend guitar workshops. In 1996 I entered the Facultad de Bellas Artes de La Plata, where I obtained the title of “Profesor Superior de Guitarra” in 2002 and the title of “Licenciado en Música” in 2005. Parallel to these studies I continued researching and building guitars.
In the year 2000 I was granted a scholarship by the Spanish Embassy to attend the course “Music in Compostela”, where I met the outstanding names of reference in the construction of the guitar of that time and their instruments.
In 2003 I received a scholarship to attend a Postgraduate Course at the Conservatorio del Liceo de Barcelona, and it is in this city where I met Raul Yague and Juan Antonio Reyes, both guitar builders who have generously shared their knowledge and experience with me.
I have had a passion for the guitar since I was a child and today I feel a real pleasure to be able to dedicate myself to work in the workshop and play our instruments in concerts.
In the year 2000 I was granted a scholarship by the Spanish Embassy to attend the course “Music in Compostela”, where I met the outstanding names of reference in the construction of the guitar of that time and their instruments.
In 2003 I received a scholarship to attend a Postgraduate Course at the Conservatorio del Liceo de Barcelona, and it is in this city where I met Raul Yague and Juan Antonio Reyes, both guitar builders who have generously shared their knowledge and experience with me.
I have had a passion for the guitar since I was a child and today I feel a real pleasure to be able to dedicate myself to work in the workshop and play our instruments in concerts.
Yutaka Iwata
I was born in Kanagawa Province, Japan in 1972. My beginnings of classical guitar making started in a factory in Japan in 2000. To gain more professional knowledge of classical guitar craftsmanship I worked for master Sakae Ishii.
I came to Barcelona in 2008 because of his worldwide fame of his masters and his history of classical guitar. Visiting the workshop of the great master Raúl Yagüe he recommended me to work in the workshop of Santiago and Cecília and since then I make guitars with them.
I came to Barcelona in 2008 because of his worldwide fame of his masters and his history of classical guitar. Visiting the workshop of the great master Raúl Yagüe he recommended me to work in the workshop of Santiago and Cecília and since then I make guitars with them.
ABOUT US
The guitar workshop “Santiago de Cecilia” was created in 2003 by María Cecilia Saenz Rols and Juan Santiago Canals after studying and working in different luthier workshops where they learned the trade. In our workshop we try to reflect the search and needs of the guitarist building classical concert guitars, handmade and varnished using traditional lutherie techniques. Currently the workshop is located within the grounds of the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona…. “The construction of a concert guitar is to develop a chain of procedures where a goal is always present, is the sound objective that leads us to develop different types of research to get our result, where each organic part of the instrument will form a whole consistent with the personal search and that which concerns and moves the guitarist, so it is necessary to unite and dialogue between these two trades, where both are enriched, guitarist and guitar maker”…
