VICTOR MANUEL RUIZ DEL VALLE

Born in Mexico City, he began his musical studies in 1977 at the
Escuela Superior de Música del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. The
following year he entered the National Conservatory of Music, studying
classical guitar for six years with the internationally-acclaimed Professor
Guillermo Flores Méndez.
In 1984 he entered the Cardenal Miranda Institute of Liturgical Music
and Arts, where he continued his study of classical guitar with professor
Flores Méndez

He has been involved in a variety of musical disciplines, including music
for theater, cinema and dance. In 1981 he recorded his first album,
independently produced, with the group Flüght, voted best of the year
by a panel of music critics. It was reedited and reissued at the end of
1999. He performed with Flüght at the XIII Festival Internacional
Cervantino and The Jazz Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico, in addition to
other concerts at a variety of theaters and universities in Mexico.

A self-taught electric bassist, he played the bass with the
Mexican/Salvadorian group Yolocamba I Ta, from 1987 to 1992. The
group performed in numerous international festivals, among them the
Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the WOMAD Festival in Toronto, the
Glasgow Mayfest Festival, the Víctor Jara Festival in Amsterdam, and
the Boulder Folk and Bluegrass Festival, in addition to giving concerts
in a wide variety of venues, including the Smithsonian Institution. Also
with Yolocamba I Ta, he recorded two compact discs, Cara o Cruz
(Flying Fish Records, USA, 1989) and Canciones para la Nueva Vida
(CEBES, Nicaragua, 1990), as well as participating in the film Romero
starring Raúl Julia (Paulist Pictures, USA, 1988).
Since 2000 he has been living in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA),
where he has continued studying
composition at Duquesne University
and jazz guitar with Ken Karsh. He
has been musical coordinator of the
Latin American Cultural Union
(LACU) since 2001 and has
performed with various local groups,
playing tango, jazz, classical and
folkloric music. Currently he plays
guitar in addition to arranging and
composing for the Latin jazz band
Puro Queso Jazz Q.
This guitar was handmade by Alejandro Mendoza, one of the best luthiers of Mexico
City. Alex made two guitars for me, a classical guitar and this other cutaway guitar with
a built-in Piezo pick-up, for playing tangos and Brazilian stuff. I love them. Thanks for
your excellent work Alex.   
Since 1992, he has developed his
abilities as an arranger and
producer, while continuing a 21 year
career as a music teacher. From
1996 to 1998 he was musical
director, arranger, and producer of
the group Ensamble Musical of the
Universidad Tecnológica de México,
for which he produced various
concerts and three compact discs.
In 1998 he resumed his formal
musical studies at the Cardenal
Miranda Institute of Liturgical Music
and Arts, with course work in
musicology, art history, guitar and
composition, and received his
Bachelor of Arts degree in
Musicology in June of 2003.
Professor Guillermo de Mendía, my teacher at the
Cardenal Miranda Institute in Mexico City, who taught me
the basics of writing music and gave me many tools for  
understanding music.
This is Marushka, my PRS Hollowbody electric guitar
End
My teacher and friend
Guillermo Flores Méndez
The great Ken Karsh
My friend and inspiration for struggling
and learning more every day
Thanks Ken
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