Praised for his “virtuosic yet effortless flair” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and “warm, round tones” that allow “the notes of Bach [to cascade] from the guitar, every note correct and played without hesitation” (Boston Globe), GRAMMY™-nominated classical guitarist, pedagogue, and educator Dr. Isaac Bustos enjoys an extensive performing career that has taken him across the United States, Canada, Central America, Europe, and China. He has appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts and is in high demand as a clinician and masterclass instructor. Bustos has been invited to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious guitar festivals, including the Guitar Foundation of America Convention, the Panama Guitar Festival, the Festival Internacional de Guitarra Monterrey, and the Festival del Noreste in Mexico. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Orchestra of New Spain, the Baytown Symphony Orchestra, the Nicaraguan National Symphony Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro JoAnn Falletta.
Dr. Bustos has earned top prizes in over 12 major international competitions, including seven first-place awards. He has premiered works by composers such as Nico Muhly, Blas Atehortúa, Samuel Zyman, Frank Wallace, Mark Cruz, Peter Lieuwen, and Joe Williams II. In 2019, he gave the world premiere of a new guitar concerto composed for him by Peter Lieuwen, performing with the University of Houston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Franz Anton Krager. His discography includes recordings on the Delos, MSR, Vgo Recordings, and Frameworks labels.
An avid chamber musician, Bustos has collaborated with Grammy-winning ensembles, including the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Conspirare Choir, and the Turtle Creek Chorale, as well as with legendary Mexican cellist Carlos Prieto. He is also a founding member of the award-winning Texas Guitar Quartet, with whom he has released two critically acclaimed albums.
Highlights of his 2023-24 season included performances with the Camerata de Querétaro, Cusco Symphony Orchestra—where he gave the Peruvian premiere of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto Madrigal—as well as the Brazos Valley Symphony, St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, and Symphony of the Hills.
Dr. Bustos holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from the University of New Hampshire, where he was the first and only guitarist to receive a full scholarship. He earned both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, studying under the renowned guitarist Adam Holzman.
As an educator, Bustos is deeply committed to teaching, and his students have garnered numerous competition victories, including top prizes at the Eastfield Guitar Festival, Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Competition, Classical Minds Guitar Competition, Houston Young Artist Competition, East Carolina University Competition, Rosario Competition, Appalachian State Competition, Boston Guitar Fest International Competition, and the Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition. Dr. Bustos is the Head of Guitar Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Music, where he also serves as Artistic Director of the Southwest Guitar Symposium.
Dr. Bustos is an Augustine Strings Sponsored Artist and performs on a 2020 Martin Blackwell Double-top cedar guitar.
