From Barrios Mangoré to Daft Punk: 5 questions to guitarist Thibaut Garcia
From backstage rituals to concert hall emotions, guitarist Thibaut Garcia opens up about the misunderstood identity of classical guitar, his connection to Barrios, and what’s on his playlist when the stage lights go out.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about classical guitar?
When you say “classical guitar,” most people don’t really know what to imagine. Classical guitar is often confused with just any non-electric guitar. But what it actually means is a traditional guitar playing the classical repertoire.
If you say flamenco or folk guitar, people understand. But when I say, “You know Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin? Well, we had composers at the same time writing music for the guitar,” then it becomes much clearer to them.
What’s one piece every human should hear at least once?
La Catedral by Barrios. Every time I play this piece, I can tell people have a strong connection to it—it’s timeless.
And what’s funny about this piece is that usually guitarists make arrangements from other repertoires, but in this case, a piano arrangement was made out of La Catedral!
Do you have any rituals or routines before going on stage?
My routines have changed over the years. Ten years ago, I would eat a Snickers bar just before going on stage. I felt like the blood wasn’t circulating properly in my hands—like hypoglycemia—so I needed sugar. But eventually, I understood it was just stress.
Now, I do breathing exercises: inhale for 7 seconds, hold for 5, exhale for 8. It lowers your heartbeat in just two minutes and helps me fully focus on what I have to do.
What’s the first thing you do after a concert?
You mean, before the beer?
When I know people in the concert hall, I love having friends and family come backstage first. It feels like a safe space before going back out into the real world.
Otherwise, I love meeting the audience. People are always very curious. Seeing the light in their eyes and hearing how the music made them feel is powerful—and always so different. I remember a young girl suffering from a severe illness who told me the concert made her feel alive. That’s so pure.
What do you listen to while traveling?
It depends on my mood. I’m really into Baroque music—it’s my second passion after Barrios. I also love electronic music, especially the French Touch: Justice, Daft Punk, and Sebastian.
And I recently discovered a new artist I love: Lau Noah. She’s a jazz singer who plays guitar and sings at the same time. She plays with her voice and her guitar in such an incredible way!
