Carlos Antonio Bonell, born on July 23, 1949 in London, England is an English classical guitarist of Spanish origin. He began playing guitar at age five, learning Spanish folk music from his father and studying violin formally at school. Bonell continued his studies at the Royal College of Music with John Williams, where he became a professor upon completing his studies in 1972. His career breakthrough came in 1975 with his concerto debut performing Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1981, Bonell recorded one of the first digital versions of Concierto de Aranjuez, which was critically acclaimed and was frequently considered as one of the finest interpretations of the concerto. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he released several albums and toured extensively, collaborating with artists such as John Williams, Paco Peña, and Martin Taylor.
