Alvaro Pierri was born 1952 in Montevideo, Uruguay, in a family of musicians. He received his early musical education from his mother, Ada Estades, on the paino and his aunt, Olga Pierri, on the guitar. He continued his later studies with Abel Carlevaro, the composer Guido Santorsola at the Uruguayan National Institute of Musicology.

At the age of only 11 he was already winning prizes in international guitar competitions, including 1st Prize in the International Guitar Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1st Prize in the International Guitar Competition in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and the Gold Medal at the 18th International Competition by France Musique/Radio France in Paris...