Dr. Hector Javier Rodriguez Santos enjoys an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He has given performances and masterclasses in Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Mexico, and throughout the United States.
Dr. Rodriguez has received prizes in several international competitions, including First Prize at the University of Texas–Pan American Guitar Competition (2009), Second Prize at the Houston Guitar Competition (2010), the Leo Brouwer Prize at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra del Noreste in Saltillo, Mexico (2014), and Second Prize at the Dallas International Guitar Competition (2018). He was also awarded the Ocelotl Award by the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (2010) for Best Artistic Project.
Several composers have dedicated works to Dr. Rodriguez, including Julio César Oliva, Guillermo Diego, Simone Iannarelli, Cutberto Córdoba, Justin Writer, and Francisco Araújo.
As an arranger, he has created works for solo guitar, chamber ensembles, and guitar ensemble. His arrangements are published by Bergmann Editions and ALRY Music.
In 2021, he produced and released the album Colores Latinos, which features contemporary music for flute and guitar, including works dedicated to Duo Aldebarán.
Dr. Rodriguez joined the faculty of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2014, where he serves as Director of Guitar Ensemble and Lecturer of Applied Guitar. Prior to his appointment at UTRGV, he taught at the Escuela Preparatoria of the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and at South Texas College.
Dr. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the Escuela Superior de Música of the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (Saltillo, Mexico), where he studied with Martín Madrigal; a Master of Music from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where he studied with Iván Rijos and Manuel Barrueco; and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a secondary emphasis in Early Music from the University of North Texas, where he studied guitar with Thomas Johnson and theorbo and early instruments with Daniel Swenberg and Arash Noori.