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 Ménde
z
The great Ken Karsh
My friend and inspiration for struggling
and learning more every day
Thanks Ken
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