Ricardo Sandoval

Classically trained musician, Ricardo Sandoval nurtured from a young age of the musical tradition of Venezuela, through encounters with musicians from different backgrounds and learning rhythms, songs and popular melodies of their country.

After graduating from the University Institute of Musical Studies (IUDEM) of Caracas, conducts advanced studies at the Musikhochschule in Cologne with Marga Wilden-Hüsgen and Gertrud Weyhoffen, culminating his studies with the highest marks. It is awarded in international contests Varazze (Italy, 1998) and Schweinfurt (Germany, 1999) and regularly participates in festivals in Europe, Latin America and Japan.

In 2005 he is jury at the International Competition of Mandoline Osaka role that has taken over in October 2011. He has been a special guest at the 1st and 2nd National Meeting of mandolin (Venezuela, 2006 and 2010) and the 1st Seminar International Plectrum Music Bogota (Colombia, 2009). In 2011 participates in the Festival 1st and 3rd Plectrums Tachira of Venezuela Meeting mandolin and also serves as a juror in the International Tournament Joropo of Villavicencio, Colombia. Since 2010 he has carried out two UK tours, Belgium, Holland, Lebanon and Australia with Paco Peña; Colombia and Venezuela with “Coffee for Two” and Japan and Colombia in alone.

He has performed with major international figures such as John Paul Jones, Hamilton de Holanda, Mike Marshall and Paco Peña. As a soloist, he has recorded three albums: Nostalgia (2000), The Oriental Bandola Anthology (2004 – for editing), Al Natural (2005) and “mandolin” (2011). Since 2008, with guitarist Matthias Collet develops the “Café Para Dos” project, recording two CDs and toured in Europe, Japan and Venezuela. In 2010, he founded along with other Venezuelan musicians The Ensemble – MCV group consacrado the composition and distribution of the repertoire of Venezuelan folk music and who just released a first album.

His composition “The Cruzao” has become a standard of Venezuelan folk music being performed and recorded by leading artists in the country.