Moisés Torrealba

Moisés Torrealba (Barinas, Venezuela, January 5, 1978) is an internationally acclaimed Bandola Llanera virtuoso, self-taught musician, and electrical engineer, widely recognized for redefining the technical and artistic possibilities of Venezuela’s traditional bandola.

He began his musical journey at the age of five, learning to play the cuatro, mandolin, and maracas. At eight years old, he discovered the Bandola Llanera, the iconic folk instrument of the Venezuelan plains, and received his first lessons from his father, Rafael Torrealba, and Professor Rafael Valero at the José Ángel Lamas School of Music. His passion for the instrument soon led him to devote his career entirely to its study and development.

Throughout his career, Torrealba has created a distinctive performance style that has transformed the modern technique of the Bandola Llanera. He pioneered the simultaneous use of harmony and melody by incorporating chordal accompaniment while using the instrument’s lower strings (bordones) as an accompanying voice. He also elevated the traditional jalao technique by introducing contrapuntal textures executed with the fingernail of the middle finger, making it possible to perform works originally written for the classical guitar. These innovations significantly expanded the expressive and technical capabilities of the Bandola Llanera, establishing it as a true concert instrument capable of sustaining complete solo recitals. His contributions have earned widespread recognition from distinguished musicians, critics, and scholars throughout Venezuela and Europe, and have profoundly influenced a new generation of bandola players in both Venezuela and Colombia.

Torrealba has performed alongside many of Venezuela’s most distinguished ensembles, including Grupo Raíces de Venezuela, Serenata Guayanesa, El Cuarteto, Ensamble Gurrufío, and Bandolas de Venezuela. He has also collaborated with renowned artists such as violinist Alexis Cárdenas, cuatro virtuoso Cheo Hurtado, Simón Díaz, Aquiles Báez, María Teresa Chacín, Alirio Díaz, Francisco Pacheco, Ricardo Sandoval, and Guillermo Jiménez Leal, among many others.

In 1999, he co-founded Ensamble Trabadeos, a Venezuelan instrumental ensemble dedicated to expanding the repertoire and performance practice of the Bandola Llanera. The ensemble documented its innovative artistic vision through the acclaimed recordings Van y Vienen (2003) and Enhorabuena (2007), while performing in Venezuela’s leading concert halls.

His international career has taken him to prestigious venues and festivals across Europe and Latin America, including London’s Barbican Centre, Bolívar Hall, the Strictly Festival in Salvador, Bahia (Brazil), the Luis Ángel Arango Concert Hall in Bogotá, the Hersbruck International Guitar Festival in Germany, and numerous concert halls in England, Norway, Spain, Curaçao, and Colombia.

On March 8, 2002, Torrealba presented the world premiere of his adaptation of Joaquín Rodrigo’s iconic Concierto de Aranjuez for Bandola Llanera, accompanied by the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alfredo Rugeles at Caracas’ Teresa Carreño Theatre. This landmark performance introduced his groundbreaking technical innovations to the public and concluded with a standing ovation from an audience of more than 1,500 people.

In April 2006, he premiered Tañidos de Bandola, a concerto for Bandola and Orchestra composed especially for him by Pedro Mauricio González, accompanied by the Lara Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Tarcisio Barreto. Later that year, he performed the Concierto de Aranjuez with the UCLA Chamber Orchestra conducted by Maestro Edecio Garrido, and returned to the work in 2009 with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under the direction of internationally renowned guitarist Ángel Romero.

In 2013, Torrealba appeared as a featured soloist alongside Venezuelan cuatro virtuoso Leonidas Rondón at the Pince Cordes Festival in Mirecourt, France, sharing the stage with distinguished musicians from Portugal, Belarus, Spain, France, and Japan. Later that year and again in 2014, he served as a juror for two of the most prestigious international folk music competitions in Venezuela and Colombia: the Festival El Silbón and the Villavicencio International Festival, respectively.

In 2015, he was invited by the Venezuelan Embassies in London and Sweden to present a series of concerts. Two years later, he reunited with Ensamble Gurrufío for an international tour that included concerts, masterclasses, and educational workshops in the Canary Islands and Madrid.

In 2018, Torrealba founded the Rojas & Torrealba Duet with flutist Manuel Rojas. Their debut album, Equipaje de Mano (Hand Luggage), recorded in Houston, Texas, became the first recording dedicated exclusively to Bandola Llanera and flute, featuring ten of Venezuela’s most celebrated traditional works. Released in January 2021, the album received critical acclaim in both Venezuela and the United States and was featured by the prestigious magazine The Flute View, which published a special review highlighting the recording.

Through his artistic vision, research, and dedication to education, Moisés Torrealba is widely regarded as one of the foremost innovators in the history of the Bandola Llanera and one of its leading ambassadors on the international concert stage.