Rodolfo Betancourt is a versatile performing guitarist, recording artist, composer, writer and educator.

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Rodolfo is classically trained, but his range encompasses rock, jazz, Latin jazz, blues, salsa and avant-garde. His performance is as captivating solo as it is when he plays with others.

Since winning Second Prize in the Antonio Lauro Guitar Competition in Venezuela in 1994, Rodolfo has participated in prestigious musical events in the U.S and abroad, among them the Ambassador's Series in Washington D.C., the Festival Internacional de Agosto in Caracas and the IV Encuentro Guitarrístico Internacional in Panama. He earned his bachelor of arts from the Manhattan School of Music in New York and his master’s in performing arts from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, studying under the renowned classic guitarist, Ricardo Iznaola.

He has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Laureate Marin Alsop, including the premiere recording of Michael Daugherty's Philadelphia Stories. Other CSO engagements included the popular Too Hot to Handel, the Summer Chamber Series, and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Rodolfo also is an experienced studio recording artist, and has participated in recording projects with Venezuelan singer/songwriter Carlos Jaeger and German Jazz pianist Tim Sund, among others. Audio bits are available in media.

Rodolfo is a meticulous composer and arranger, generally blending jazz, Latin rhythms, minimalism and folk styles in his work. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by the Experimental Playground Ensemble (artist-in-residence at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music), the accomplished British guitarist, Jonathan Leathwood, Carlos Jaeger's Solamente Todos, and the Swingin' String Band among others.

Rodolfo's ground-breaking interview with Cuban composer Leo Brouwer was published by Guitar Review. He has taught master classes and has spoken at conferences about the process of transcription for guitar. Some of his transcriptions for guitar are available in scores, including his work on J. S. Bach's Chaconne. His master thesis about the process of transcription for guitar of J. S. Bach's Chaconne has become a reference reading in colleges in the U.S. and abroad. Both works are available in writings.

In addition to his career as a classic guitar soloist, Rodolfo continues to perform with several musical projects, such as his own trio with Venezuelan Bassist Jorge Lopez and Guinean Percussionist Fara Tolno, and the Experimental Playground Ensemble among others.

When he doesn’t have a guitar in his hands, Rodolfo works in the non-profit business. He currently is the marketing director for Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver. He also won the 2005 “Forty Under 40” award from the Denver Business Journal for his professionalism in performing arts administration and commitment to the community.

Rodolfo teaches privately in his home in Englewood, Colorado, where he lives with his wife Rebecca and son Aden.