Celso Hurtado (1891-1968) was the first documented classical marimbist in history. A Guatemalan native, Hurtado was an ambassador of solo marimba virtuosity. His original musical experience was as a member of the Hurtado Brothers Marimba Band, but Celso's dream was to elevate the marimba to a classical solo instrument.

Celso Hurtado traveled as recitalist giving countless classical marimba concerts; appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony; and, was heard on nationwide radio broadcasts throughout the US. He was the first classical marimbist to perform a marimba recital in New York's Carnegie Hall, in 1947. Celso Hurtado performed four mallet independence, contrapuntal polyphony, and one handed rolls at least as early as the 1940's, decades prior to other marimbists.

The Hurtado Brothers were active for more than a half century, (1890's -1950's) bringing marimba music to the US and Europe, stimulating countless percussionists to begin playing the marimba. They wrote the world's first opus of sophisticated marimba ensemble music of every conceivable musical genre, such as classical, ragtime, popular, marches, tangoes, operatic, and more.

Originating in Guatemala, the Hurtado Brothers introduced the world's first chromatic marimba to the US and Europe as early as 1908. Over the course of several months in 1915, they performed marimba music for hundreds of thousands of the American public during the San Francisco Pan American Exposition. Beginning in 1915, their recordings of marimba ensemble music were sold by the largest commercial record companies of that time, thus exposing millions of people to marimba music.

The Hurtados' chromatic marimbas were directly emulated by the Deagan and Leedy companies, whose ownerships witnessed them. This initiated the beginning of commercial marimba production. The many activities of Celso Hurtado and the Hurtado Brothers Marimba Band during the first half of the 20th century are the source of today's marimba activity.