Background
The eighth of eleven children, Díaz was born in Caserio Louisiana Candelaria, a small village near Carora in western Venezuela.
The eighth of eleven children, Díaz was born in Caserio Louisiana Candelaria, a small village near Carora in western Venezuela.
He later went to Trujillo, in the Venezuelan Andes, and studied saxophone and clarinet under Laudelino Mejías while working as a typesetter in a newspaper. He also studied English and typewriting before going to Caracas in 1945 to study the guitar at the Escuela Superior de Musica José Ángel Lamas under Raul Borges.
From childhood he showed a great interest in music At age 16 he ran away from home to Carora, where he sought better schooling. In 1950, the Venezuelan Government awarded him a scholarship to continue his guitar studies in Madrid under Regino Sainz de la Maza.
That same year he performed his first guitar concert in Europe.
In 1951 he went to Accademia Musicale Chigiana of Siena (Italy), seeking to study with Andrés Segovia. There he impressed Segovia greatly with his flawless technique and extensive repertoire.
Three years later, he progressed to become the assistant and substitute to Segovia, and started performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls of Europe. In turn, Díaz obliged and the next year performed this very difficult solo piece.
Due to its many complexities, this particular work is very seldom performed.
lieutenant has been recorded by Díaz. This was the first of many compositions subsequently dedicated to Alirio Díaz. Alirio Díaz has performed all over the world combining baroque music with the works of modern Latin American composers, such as Lauro, Sojo and Barrios Mangoré.
During the European winter, he usually returns to Venezuela to his native town, Louisiana Candelaria.
Foreign several years, a guitar contest named Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alirio Díaz has been held in his honor in Caracas and other cities in Venezuela (the April 2006 contest was held in Carora), where he often makes appearances.