Born: February 14, 1778 Died: July 10, 1839
Fernando Sor is considered to be one of the most prolific composers for the guitar and is often known as "The Beethoven of the Guitar." Born in Barcelona, Sor, the son of a well-to-do Catalan merchant, was educated at the Choir School of the monastery of Montserrat and the military academy in Barcelona. At nineteen, he composed Telemaco, his first opera. In 1812 he moved to Paris and became a guitar virtuoso and composer. Sor moved to Russia in 1820, where he wrote three ballets. In 1826 he moved back to Paris where he died in 1839.
Sor composed many pieces for the guitar. Though he was Spanish, his guitar music is in Viennese style. Sor published Methode pour la guitare in 1830, which later was translated into German and Italian (1831), and then into English (1832). His guitar studies have been used widely.