Liamna Pestana Roche is a Cuban-American musician whose artistry spans a remarkable array of plucked string instruments, including the Renaissance and Baroque guitars, 6-course and 19th-century guitars, classical guitar, medieval citole, vihuela, Renaissance lute, oud, archlute, and the Cuban tres.

 

She is also an accomplished soprano and has performed with vocal and instrumental ensembles across Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States.

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A passionate interpreter of early music, Liamna directed the ensemble Cantiga Armonica, with whom she toured extensively, appearing in concerts and festivals throughout Cuba, Mexico, Sweden, Argentina, and Colombia. As a concert guitarist, she has earned awards and recognition in festivals and competitions in Mexico and Cuba.

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Her dedication to historical performance practice has led her to specialized training in early notation and instrumental techniques from the Medieval through the Baroque periods. She has lectured on the evolution of the guitar and lute, and has presented academic research, including “Poetry and Music in the Children’s Songbooks” at Syracuse University (NY, 2022). Her published work includes articles on Novohispanic musicology in Heraldo de Navidad (Querétaro, Mexico, 2012).

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Liamna’s discography features recordings with several early music ensembles, such as Segrel (“Los Sonidos de la Lírica Medieval,” 2009; “Un Sarao en Chalco,” 2012) and Cantiga Armonica (“Fantasía,” 2006; “Toquen los Rabeles,” 2012), among others.

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She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Classical Guitar Performance at the University of Miami, where she continues to expand her research and performance of both early and contemporary plucked-string repertoire.

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