Classical guitarist and early plucked instrumentalist Carlos Cuestas is an active performer based in New York City. His musical versatility has allowed him to perform as a soloist and in chamber, orchestral, and traditional music ensembles on different plucked instruments in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Ireland. As a guitarist, Carlos has done in-depth studies of eighteenth and nineteenth-century guitar repertoire, particularly music for keyboard and guitar, and the art of improvisation in the style of the early Romantic period. As a continuo player, he has participated in numerous projects including opera and oratorio productions in New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco. Carlos has also delved into the centuries-old son jarocho tradition from Veracruz, Mexico, playing a consort of traditional instruments, and was a member of New York City ensemble Radio Jarocho. He is also a member of the Cline/Cuestas Duo with flutist Jenny Cline. Their debut album "Facets" is available on Amazon music, and the duo is excited to release their second album in fall 2024.

Carlos, a Colombian national, is a PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology at the City University of New York, The Graduate Center researching the effects of environmental change in the poetic and musical practice of son jarocho.