Marco Tamayo is a celebrated Cuban guitarist with an international reputation, both on stage and in the field of education. He began playing the guitar at the age of three and was hailed as a child prodigy by the time he was six. His first international tour took place in Europe when he was just ten years old. Over the course of his career, he has won many major international competitions and received more than 20 international awards. He has performed countless solo concerts and recitals with renowned orchestras and conductors and is a regular member of chamber music ensembles. Above all, he is known as a soloist with a broad repertoire of more than six hours of music, covering all stylistic periods. He has premiered numerous works, and many composers—such as Leo Brouwer—have dedicated pieces to him.

He has recorded several albums, including many original works for guitar as well as transcriptions of famous violin caprices by Niccolò Paganini. In addition, he is active as a composer, arranger, and conductor of chamber ensembles, and serves as the artistic director of the "Michele Pittaluga International Guitar Contest" and the "Klagenfurt International Competition and Festival" in Austria. He is also an honorary citizen of the cities of Solero and Alessandria, both in Italy.

Tamayo serves on numerous juries and is a regular guest lecturer at masterclasses. His book Essential Principles for the Interpretation on the Classical Guitar has transformed the approach to classical guitar education worldwide. Most of his students enjoy international careers.

He currently plays a guitar built by American luthier Stephen Connor, is a Savarez artist, and uses Cantiga Premium–Alliance / Blue strings. He is also the founder and chairman of Marco Tamayo Edition, a publishing house he established in 2014.

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