Manuel Ponce is credited with connecting concert music with Mexican folklore and popular song. He traveled to European music schools in the early 20th century and returned to Mexico and Cuba as a prominent teacher. At this time, Latin American composers were working hard to gain a musical independence from imposed European traditions and he has been known as the Creator of the Modern Mexican Song. This Concierto del Sur is among a handful of internationally renowned works for virtuoso guitar and orchestra. Ponce pushed the envelope and broke barriers and is credited for contributing towards the development of the classical guitar and its acceptance as an instrument on a par with other concert instruments. Ponce wrote this legendary guitar concerto Concierto del Sur, as a dedication to his long-time friend and guitar virtuoso Andrés Segovia and it remains one of the undisputed masterworks for guitar and orchestra.