First Prizes in Zarautz Guitar Competition (Spain), César Cortinas and Musical Youth Competitions in Montevideo as well as Bolivia National Guitar Competition in Tarija are some of the major awards that Marcos Puña has received. After his win in Montevideo, El Pais wrote: "It is rarely possible to enjoy a guitar recital which presents a program of such diverse aesthetic ideals in such a vast musical universe, in addition to the virtuosity of the performer". Born in Oruro, Bolivia in 1977, Marcos Puña graduated from the Montevideo Municipal Conservatory in Uruguay, where he studied with Maestro Mario Payssé. In the same country he was also a student of eminent performer Eduardo Fernandez and legendary educator Abel Carlevaro who said: "Marcos Puña has excellent sound and musical expression".
As a child in his native country, Marcos Puña studied guitar with Gentaro Takada, sight singing and harmony with Julio Cabezas. He also participated in the master-classes of the famous Venezuelan guitarist Alirio Díaz and Argentine guitarist Eduardo Isaac with the support of the Arnoldo Schwimmer Foundation. After giving his first concert at the age of sixteen, he performed in more than 30 cities in Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and U.S.A. Some of the prestigious international festivals that he participated include Alirio Díaz festival in Venezuela, City of Montevideo and Eduardo Fabini Festivals in Uruguay, ICPNA Festival in Peru, Souza Lima Festival in Brazil, Agustín Barrios in Paraguay, Abril en Tarija and Alfredo Domínguez Festival in La Paz, Bolivia. On various occasions he was a jury member of the Bolivian National Guitar Competition in Tarija. As soloist he performed with the Cochabamba Symphonic Orchestra, La Paz Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Concertante, Tarija Chamber Orchestra and City of Montevideo Ensemble. After his first recording "Marcos Puña, Guitarra" released in 1995 he recorded three CDs: Concierto Español (Spanish Concert-1998), Paseo Sudamericano (South American Journey-2004) and most recently En Vivo (Live) recorded in a successful concert en Montevideo at the end of 2004. In 2005 Marcos Puña adopted the ten-string guitar, which was invented by the legendary Spanish performer Narciso Yepes with legendary guitar maker José Ramirez in the 1960's. To promote the guitar in his country, Marcos Puña created and directed radio and TV programs dedicated to the classical guitar in Cochabamba's Mozart F.M. and Canal 11 T.V.U channel. As a teacher in various institutions in Uruguay and Bolivia, he conducted master-classes and lectures in Bolivia, U.S.A., Peru, Brazil and Uruguay. Now he resides in La Paz, where he is on the guitar faculty of the National Conservatory of Music as a guitar instructor and the conductor of the guitar orchestra.