Faculty

Guitar

Yuri Juarez is a professional musician and music instructor from Lima, Peru. He is a composer, arranger, performer, and music teacher who has teaching experience teaching in several countries including India, Peru, and the United States.

Yuri began his career in 1996 as a guitarist for various groups of Afro-Peruvian music, folk, and fusion. He has shared the stage and recorded with musicians like Arturo O'Farrill, Ron Carter, Eva Ayllón, Susana Baca, Claudia Acuña, and iconic Peruvian composers such as Kiri Escobar and Javier Lazo. He has also worked with trail-blazing bands including the Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Novalima, among others.

In November of 2008, Yuri released his first album, Afroperuano, with its own repertoire and the work of important composers Chabuca Granda, Carlos Hayre, and Chucho Valdes. The album achieved great success both domestically and internationally. In December of 2009, Yuri received the Latin Jazz Corner Awards in the categories of Best Afroperuvian Jazz Album and Best Latin Jazz Guitarist debut for his Afroperuano album.

Continuing his success, Yuri’s 2013 album, Tangolando, was nominated for The Independent Music Awards in the World Beats category. Then, in 2016 he edited Guitar Sapiens, his lifetime work, a double album with symphonic orchestra, big band, ensemble, and solo guitar. In 2019, along with the percussion player Jhair Sala, Yuri released LIMA with music from his hometown; it was an instrumental album based on guitar and cajon interpretations.