Ferdinando Carulli (1770–1841) was an influential Italian composer and virtuoso guitarist. He is best known for helping to establish the classical guitar as a respected solo instrument during the early 19th century. Carulli composed over 400 works for the guitar, including solo pieces, duets, and instructional books. His most famous publication is the Méthode complète pour la guitare, one of the first comprehensive guitar methods, which is still used today. Carulli lived much of his life in Paris, where he performed, taught, and published music.