Lawrence Del Casale - Homage (2026)

When New York–based classical guitarist and Latin Grammy nominee Larry Del Casale checked his inbox one morning in 2023, he was surprised to find a brand-new score from guitarist-composer Leo Brouwer. Less than a month earlier, Del Casale had commissioned the single-movement work for guitar and string quartet from the Cuban master, and Brouwer promptly delivered Contradanza Cubana.

For Del Casale, who is in his mid-60s, commissioning his first work from Brouwer was more than a professional milestone—it was a tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator Carlos Barbosa-Lima, the Brazilian virtuoso with whom he shared a 23-year partnership spanning international tours and multiple recordings.

“Carlos and Brouwer were close, and I felt I wanted to do something to honor Carlos,” he says. “I’d never met Leo but reached out to him by email to discuss a commission. I told him I wanted a work for string quartet and guitar, and this is what he came up with. I consider this piece a nugget.”

With this new commission and his latest album, Homage, Del Casale reflects on a life shaped by collaboration—in the classroom, onstage, and in the studio—and celebrates the relationships that continue to define his music. Speaking from his home in Mahopac, he discussed Homage, the enduring influence of Barbosa-Lima, and the experience of commissioning a new work by Brouwer—a story that bridges past and present.