Juan Francisco Pedestro in the age of 19, when he became a student of Francisco Tárrega

Juan Francisco Pedestro  was born at the 18. 4. 1846 as son of a engin driver in Alcalá near Madrid. He began with the guitar playing relatively late, namely with 16 years. Beside his technical study in Madrid, he got a basic education on the guitar at Francisco Tárrega and composition at Isaac Albéniz. It may be that the relatively late beginning of the guitar-education was decisive for his decision to become a  technical enginieer. Juan Francisco Pedestro made  quick career in his occupation quickly and was a leader the of the Building and Construction Department of the Spanish railroad-management in Madrid up to his tragic death.

He met his wife Elisabeth, an Austrian woman, during an one year long stay 1878 in Wiener Neustadt / Austria where he completed a practical course in the at that time world-famous Wiener Neustädter Lokomotivfabrik. The three spanish romances are dedicated to Elisabeth.  

With his friend Enrique Granados, a famous Spanish composer of the late-romantic, that he accompanied togetherwith his wife to the premiere of his opera Goyescas, connected him a tragic fate. He sunk together with him and his wife on the ship Sussex at the 24. 3. 1916, torpedoed on a trip over the Channel  of a German warship. This malignant attack on a civilian ship led the Austrian of Hungarian monarchy to the war-admission of the USA and in the consequence to the downfall. 

Ü Romance en La - load  the facsimile of the original handwriting. 

Original title:

Juan Francisco Pedestro
Romance en La
para Guitarra

Madrid, 19.7.1888, Nueva Version para Elisabeth

Ü Please read Jovan Pesecs  fascinating story about the rediscovery of Juan Francisco Pedestro