Before the last night of Maroon 5’s European tour in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, lead singer Adam Levine learned that his former guitar teacher, Carlos Calvo, now lives nearby with his family. “The Voice” judge and rock star not only invited Calvo and his family to the show, but “promised a full red carpet experience,” Calvo wrote in a touching Instagram post on July 12, 2026.
“He over-delivered on that promise,” Calvo gushed, revealing that he was Levine’s guitar teacher from the time he was 10 until he signed his first record deal. He noted that seeing Levine again — and getting a huge hug from Levine after the show — felt as “warm and familiar” as their connection years ago.
“I couldn’t believe that I just witnessed this amazing show from someone I have known since he was 10 years old,” Calvo captioned his video.
He also reflected in his post, “How can I not feel so proud? To see this amazing star, but also a husband and father of three, a loyal friend who never forgets his origin story. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night is how being in the presence of this very bright light can be so humbling.”
Adam Levine Brought His Guitar Teacher, Carlos Calvo, Onstage to Watch From the Sidelines
Levine, who grew up in California, pulled out all the stops for his former guitar teacher and his family at the July 11 show, Calvo revealed, writing that their “magical night” included joining 30,000 fans for “a night of nonstop hits from the band’s nearly 25 year career.”
“During encores, we were escorted onstage to watch the end of the show,” Calvo wrote. “Even my normally hard-to-impress daughter was thrilled when Adam waved to us during his performance! By the way, this was Soléa’s first big concert experience.”
He continued, “After the show, we had a chance to catch up before the band was whisked away. The hang was warm and familiar. All the care and kindness Adam showed my family was so genuine. Everyone on his crew told me that he was excited that we were there. Well, his generosity made that clear.”
In addition to being personally blown away by Levine’s care for him and his family, Calvo said he was also incredibly impressed with Maroon 5 as professional musicians, noting that “the show was seamless, the sound stunning, the crew flawless. The band performed at a dizzying level of musicianship, which can go underappreciated in the Pop world.”
“As for Adam himself, he is known as a superstar and TV personality,” Calvo continued. “But I know him as someone obsessed with music who studied with me for almost a decade. As my insightful wife says, that is more training than a doctor. Adam had the ability to hyper focus on music. He was never discouraged by the amount of repetition required to become good. That insane level of hard work is always obscured by the curtain of stardom.”
Maroon 5 & Adam Levine Fans Are Loving Carlos Calvo’s Reunion Video
GettyMaroon 5 liked and shared Calvo’s video, which included his views from the crowd and the stage as the band performed for a jam-packed stadium. Fans and friends swooned over his and Levine’s reunion, thrilled that Calvo and his family had such a wonderful time.
“This is so cool,” one person wrote in the comment section. “You are so gifted to be able to teach and guide people. Sharing your talent clearly elevates the talent of everyone around you! But more than anything heart and kindness is what you bring!”
Another told Calvo, “You are such a rad human. Music is so powerful and you have made a great impact on so many. ❤️”
Someone else commented, “This is such an awesome and beautiful story …. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for sharing with us … you are truly a great friend and guitar teacher.”
Calvo has been called “Hollywood’s Guitar Teacher to the Stars,” according to his LinkedIn profile. In addition to teaching guitar lessons for four decades, he’s known for working with actors playing musicians in movies like Showtime’s “Californication” with Ray Donovan and the James Brown biopic “Get On Up.”
Maroon 5 will head next to South America, with tour dates starting on August 29. Before that, Levine is due back at “The Voice” set to film the Battle Rounds for season 30 on July 20 and 21, according to ticket manager 1iota, and then again on July 27 for a “special competition round.” The season is set to premiere on NBC in September.
