Beau comes from a large musical family in Little Rock, Arkansas where he spent much of his youth playing socially and professionally in small clubs, blues revues, and church settings. While in high school, he obtained a handful of old records from the Spanish guitar masters Andres Segovia and Sabicas. Inspired, he began his formal studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock under classical guitarist Michael Carenbauer. He finished his course work at UALR in ‘93, graduating with honors and receiving top prizes from regional music competitions.

Beau then relocated to the graduate guitar program at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music under Doug Niedt where he received a Master of Music. There he continued his professional career in the fertile ground of the Kansas City Music scene playing with jazz musicians, classical chamber musicians, and also participating in the burgeoning latin music scene. It was at this time that Beau met the musicians and founded the groups that he still performs with today such as tenor, Nathan Granner, soprano, Victoria Botero, classical violinist Gregory Sandomirsky, composer/pianist Brad Cox, Argentine Tango quintet Tango Lorca.

His interest in exploring new repertoire, cultures and programming ideas has led to the creation of a large body of arrangements, transcriptions and compositions for the solo guitar and guitar chamber music. Beau has also worked extensively with the Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis, the Bach Aria Soloists Kansas City’s new music ensemble, newEar, Owen/Cox Dance Group,  and the Kansas City Ballet. Most recently he has co-founded the flamenco music and dance school Manos Rojas, the flamenco dance company Al-Andaluz and the independent record label Tzigane, which is home to four of Beau’s own recorded projects and many other fine artists.

    He has served as music faculty at both Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas and Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri and has continued his own musical studies with such masters as Antonio Andrade, Miguel Rodriguez, Santiago Aguilar, Pedro Cortez and Luis Heredia of La Repompa de Málaga. His studies in southern Spain and involvement with the tango scene of Buenos Aires have cultivated a deep interest in the study of stylistic and cultural context that one cannot obtain from a scholastic environment.

    Through his many diverse projects and ensembles, Beau has had the great fortune of performing in almost every state in the U.S. as well as touring to Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Germany, France and Switzerland. His music is regularly programmed on radio1 BBC, “Segovia a Yupanki” Radio Nacional Argentina, and “All Songs Considered” on NPR. Currently, Beau has become an avid student of Ottoman Classical Music and is studying the Oud.

Reviews

In reference to new CD - ¡Olé Che!

“The latest CD from guitarist extraordinaire Beau Bledsoe treats the ear to a progressive feast from Spain and Argentina with outstanding performances of Flamenco and Tango music. As always the attention to detail in Bledsoe's work is immediately apparent. He is an astonishingly fine guitarist and plays with an idiomatic authenticity well earned. For this CD he joins with the brilliant young Bandoneonista, Hector Del Curto. Their duet work together is essential tango, full of surprise, intricate nuance and grace. A gorgeous recording.”

-Steve Tortorici

WUWF Music Director, Host of “Morning Classics” and producer of “The Artist Files”

Pensacola, FL

www.wuwf.org

“The Histoire du Tango (Piazzolla) is the best I've heard, the Ave Maria unbelievable, and the Bulerias killer.”- Douglas Niedt

“My favorite piece on the album is the siguiriyas y cabal. I found it very gripping - intensely emotional. Your playing is absolutely top notch - the flamenco playing is infused with a deep knowledge of the art. This is very clear to me and very refreshing in our very superficial world today.”

-Dennis Koster

In reference to a performance of the Concerto in D Major for Guitar, by Antonio Vivaldi

“Bledsoe brought impressive sensitivity to an instrument not necessarily known for its expressiveness.”  “- the second movement, which Bledsoe played beautifully. In the third movement, his mastery of the technically challenging, lilting notes was apparent.”

-Terry Rombeck, Lawrence Journal

In reference to most recent CD and tour with tenor Nathan Granner.

“In Lorca's moving Café de Chinitas Bledsoe's playing is hot as a raging fire. Elsewhere Bledsoe is a terrific partner as well — discreet at times, forthcoming at others, and always ready to sacrifice a standard sense of tone to interesting varieties of attack.”

- Drew Minter, Opera News

”Bledsoe was a highly sophisticated musical partner. He played dobro like a Delta bluesman (in the gospel number) and flamenco acoustic guitar like a Spanish gypsy. Even his Schubert accompaniments, transcribed from piano parts, were pointedly musical."

"The highlights for me were the torchy “Café de Chinitas” and the fanciful flamenco version of “E lucevan le stelle,” the big final aria from “Tosca,” which in Bledsoe’s hands sounded as if it were what Puccini had in mind all along.”

-Paul Horsley,  The Kansas City Star

“Bledsoe's guitar work would be diminished by calling it “accompaniment” This was more of a musical partnership between guitar and voice.”

-Tulsa World

“Departure” -- 3 1/2 stars “Bledsoe’s accompaniment throughout is skilled and, in the flamenco pieces, brilliant.”

-News and Observer