Hermelindo Ruiz-Mestre is a guitarist and composer known both as a preserver and a creator. Growing up in the countryside of Puerto Rico, he learned music immersed in the tradition of the Danza Puertorriqueña –a musical genre for which he has published two music CDs to critical acclaim from major media outlets in Puerto Rico and honored with the “Dedicación de la Semana de la Danza” by the National Institute of Culture in 2023.

Yet, while safeguarding his cultural heritage, he is also a pioneer and creator, composing and performing new music in projects from institutions like The Cleveland Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Guitar Foundation of America, and receiving composition awards, such as the Andres Segovia’s Award in Galicia (2011) and Música en Compostela Prize in Spain (2022).

His creative output is prolific and varied. Ruiz-Mestre has published five books of music scores and four CDs of original and traditional music from Puerto Rico. In adition, he has an active international career as a guitarist, having played solo concerts recently in England, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and the USA. Previous concerts include two visits to Latin America, Central America and Australia.

Ruiz-Mestre studied personally with guitar leyends Leo Brouwer and Roland Dyens. In addition, he holds degrees from prestigious Yale University, where he was invited to pursuit a Master degree and an Artist Diploma on a Full-Scholarship. He completed a doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky.