At fourteen, Justin Chen is already playing repertoire that seasoned concert artists approach with respect. We introduced this remarkable young guitarist in our profile of Justin Chen — here he takes on one of the modern classics of the instrument: the final Toccata from Leo Brouwer's Sonata No. 1, played on a 2025 Toby Rzepka guitar.
About the Sonata and Its Toccata
Brouwer composed his Sonata (often counted as his Sonata No. 1) in 1990 for Julian Bream, and it quickly became one of the most performed large-scale guitar works of the late twentieth century. Its final movement, La Toccata de Pasquini, tips its hat to the Baroque keyboard virtuoso Bernardo Pasquini while unleashing everything Brouwer's mature style is loved for: driving ostinato patterns, Afro-Cuban rhythmic energy, sudden harmonic sideslips and a percussive brilliance that turns the guitar into a small orchestra.
The Toccata is a stamina test as much as a musical one. The player must keep a relentless motor rhythm alive while voicing melodic fragments inside it, and the piece rewards exactly the combination of fearlessness and precision that young virtuosos bring to it. Hearing a fourteen-year-old command this music is a reminder of how high the technical baseline of the new guitar generation has become.
About Leo Brouwer
Leo Brouwer, born in Havana in 1939, is the most influential living composer for the guitar. Guitarist, conductor and film composer, he has shaped the instrument's modern language across more than six decades — from the avant-garde experiments of the 1960s to the 'new simplicity' of his later works. His études accompany nearly every student of the instrument, and his concert works are pillars of the repertoire. Read more in our guide to Leo Brouwer and our portrait Leo Brouwer — a maestro of the modern classical guitar.
The Guitar: Toby Rzepka, 2025
The 2025 Toby Rzepka heard in this video gives Chen the fast attack and dynamic reserve Brouwer's writing demands. The instrument is available in our shop, alongside our full range of classical guitars.
Watch the Performance
Discover more Brouwer in our article on the Études simples and browse our overview of famous classical guitar pieces.
