Carlos Restrepo, born in Cali, Colombia, is among the most versatile guitarists of his generation. Classically trained, he currently lives and works between Kaiserslautern and Stuttgart, Germany.
His playing combines passion, subtlety, and expressive depth with technical brilliance. Musicality and virtuosity merge into a distinctive artistic voice that has captivated both audiences and critics alike. As a refined and compelling performer, he is recognized for the emotional intensity and clarity of his interpretations.
A central focus of his artistic work is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Carlos Restrepo has created his own guitar transcriptions of Bach’s Sonatas for Solo Violin, which are scheduled for publication in collaboration with the renowned guitarist and arranger Tilman Hoppstock. As a dedicated interpreter of Bach’s music, he continuously explores its expressive possibilities on the guitar, expanding established techniques and developing new dimensions of sound.
In addition to his solo career and his deep involvement with Bach, Carlos Restrepo can be experienced in many different chamber music formations, for example as a member of the duo Madera alongside the saxophonist Leonardo Rojas, with a focus on Colombian composers such as Leon Cadona, Gentil Montana or Clemente Díaz.
In addition, Carlos Restrepo is very interested in giving space to contemporary music and has therefore already been active in various ensembles for new music. His repertoire includes works by Alberto Ginastera, NuccioD’Angelo, and Leo Brouwer, as well as his own arrangements and compositions. His compositional output encompasses serial and polytonal works for solo guitar and ensemble.
He began his guitar studies in Colombia with Clemente Díaz and Héctor González, before continuing at the University and Conservatory of Strasbourg with Susana Prieto and Alexis Muzurakis (Duo Melis).
His versatility and desire to grasp and explore music holistically also led him to study musicology, composition and Écriture Musicale in Strasbourg.
He completed a Master’s degree at the University of Music Freiburg under Mathias Kläger and Michael Hampel, as well as a Master’s degree in Instrumental Pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Frankfurt with Christopher Brand. He further specialized in early music with Yasunori Imamura in Strasbourg and Frankfurt.
From 2019 to 2022, he refined his artistic development with Ricardo Gallén in Weimar, and from 2023 to 2026 with Tilman Hoppstock in Darmstadt.
In addition, he studied jazz guitar with the renowned jazz guitarist Michael Sagmeister.
Carlos Restrepo has successfully participated in international guitar competitions and masterclasses with distinguished artists including Raphaella Smits, Jorge Caballero, Paolo Pegoraro, Judicaël Perroy, Éric Franceries, Joaquim Clerch, Pablo Márquez, Margarita Escarpa, Pavel Steidl, René Izquierdo, Peter Katona, Gabriel Bianco, Marco Tamayo, Anabel Montesinos, Carles Trepat, Álvaro Pierri, Hopkinson Smith, and Thomas Müller-Pering.
He was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Scholarship in 2018 and the Deutschlandstipendium in Frankfurt in 2021.
Carlos Restrepo is particularly dedicated to the interpretation of early music, with a special emphasis on Baroque repertoire, especially the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Sylvius Leopold Weiss. Performing on a 13-string multi-string guitar tuned in D after the Baroque lute, he brings these compositions to life in new tonal colors, combining historical awareness with poetic and highly individual guitar interpretation. In 2026, he will record Weiss’sSonata SW 34 at his C.R. Audio-Visual Studio.
Since 2025, he has been working on his new album project Cycles – A Musical Journey Through Time on Six Strings, scheduled for release in 2027. The album presents works from various eras, ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary music.
In addition to his concert career, Carlos Restrepo is an active guitar pedagogue. He has taught at respected institutions in France and Germany, including the Peter Cornelius Conservatory in Mainz, and currently serves as a guitarteacher at the State Music School Stuttgart and the Music Academy Kaiserslautern. His students have won first prizes in various guitar competitions, reflecting his holistic and artistically grounded teaching approach.
Carlos Restrepo performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician.
