Meet Ludwig Rondón

A not one composition might be fairly complex in its structure. Several arrangements and notes play an essential role in each performance. The tune identified can be as mellow and as crispy depending on the strings attached. When appetitively learning by ear, all chords and pitches fit creatively, but it is a learning process. That is the ethos of Ludwig Rondon in his path to becoming a reputable classical guitarist and educator.

The teenage Ludwig Rondón, born in Curaçao, moved to the Netherlands in 1986 to study architecture, but little did he know he had that musician sparkle hidden that later turned into a passion.

As an introduction about himself, Ludwig Rondón starts the conversation with his untypical story as he says: “My story is not typical…I got my first guitar when I was fifteen years old. I just played as a hobby!”

How did you get into music?

In 1986 I came to Holland for better opportunities. It wasn’t music studies yet. I was planning to be an architect because I had a technical background.
After six months, I bought a guitar. I just played as a hobby. Playing music by ear and making some arrangements together with other people. Not until I was twenty-six-year-old that I took it more seriously, giving it a professional direction. So I started studying music, taking harmony lessons to understand music. After that, I did an audition, and I started practising. So that’s how my story is, a bit complicated. I didn’t start very early playing the guitar. I was fifteen when I got my first guitar from my father. He played a little bit. I just played as a hobby.

Then you made the step into your creative career?

Later on, I took it more seriously, so if there was a spark that became a passion, I made this my profession.

In one of your guitar’s performances at the “Gluren Bij De Buren” festival in Houten, you said to be inspired by Brazilian music when you played a chorus. Tell us more about that?

Oh, I get a lot of inspiration from Brazilian music. I listen to different performances, composers and styles. Brazil is diverse in music styles, but mostly I dedicate myself to the chorus. Besides what I do with music education. I dedicate my time to teaching children and adults, music students preparing for the music academy.
Yes, I remember that day at “Gluren Bij De Buren” in Houten. I played Marco Pereira’s.

From such an inspiring memory to your experience during the lockdown. Did you stay motivated? What are your conclusions or findings regarding the lockdown?

Well, I wasn’t very motivated. I need to say that I felt like more than twenty years of work has been taken from me. I lost clients. I had no income until the first of July. Before that, I gave some online lessons, but it wasn’t fun at all. It was no physical interaction which is of great importance for teaching music.

So, no, I wasn’t motivated at all! It killed my creativity.

But, you are still busy composing, so do you have a recent project?

During these months, I just told myself I could do two things: find any jobs for little income, being frustrated; or I can try to think outside of my comfort zone by finding new ideas and ways, still being in touch with my creativity. So I picked up playing more and making some new arrangements. Like the next project is a piece of Tom Jobim called “How intensive”.

Even though Covid-19 made it uneasy for Ludwig to keep inspired, giving up was not the way. He awakened his inner power to find the way forward. Thinking outside the box, not letting frustration lead. The only way was restoring the laces of his creativity.

” I think we as musicians, artmakers, painters, designers, the art industry. We need to call out society. Without these people, creativity, creative brains, it would be an empty and grey society. So, I hope for better times, especially in this creative industry.”

Ludwig Rondón

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