Cellist Luis Leguia, Pioneer of Carbon Fiber Instruments has Died, aged 89

Leguia played in the Boston Symphony Orceshtra for 44 years in addition to creating carbon fiber instruments for Luis and Clark

Born in 1935 in Los Angeles, CA, Luis Leguia began playing the cello at the relatively late age of 15.

A student of the École Normale de Musique de Paris and the Juilliard School in New York City, he studied with Arthur van den Bogaerde, Kurt Reher, Andre Navarra, Leonard Rose, and Pablo Casals. As he did not have a high school diploma and was unable to graduate Juilliard with a diploma, Leguia joined the Army Band. He then performed with the National Symphony, the Houston Symphony at the invitation of Leopold Stokowski, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

He joined the Boston Symphony in 1963, where he played until his retirement in 2007.

The chair of the Boston Conservatory cello department for nearly a decade, he gave masterclasses internationally and performed on tours of the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Lebanon, Ethiopia, South America, and Syria.

He premiered numerous works, including the Boston premiere of Schoenberg’s Cello Concerto, and the world premiere performances of works by Robert Parris, Pamela J. Marshall, Vincent Frohne, Robert Evett, Edgar Valcarcel, and Josep Soler.

Leguia had a passion for sailing, which led him to explore carbon fiber innovations in instrument making.

"He realized how the old boats were made, and seeing the new fiberglass ones and the ultra-sophisticated boats in carbon fiber, made him think those materials might make a great medium for a cello," a tribute published by Luis and Clark writes. 

Developing ideas over eleven years, alongside his wife Stephanie, Leguia aimed to make carbon fiber instruments for players who could not afford wooden instruments. He began collaborating with Steve Clark, a carbon fiber product manufacturer, and together, they made the instruments commercially viable. In 2022, Leguia brought on Matt Dunham as the current fabricator.

Leguia went on to invent the carbon fiber violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

"Following his retirement from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Leguia continued to perform as a soloist and work actively with Luis and Clark, checking each instrument that leaves the shop," the tribute writes.

Our condolences to Leguia's family, friends, students, and colleagues.