Sharon Isbin released a new CD on August 30, 2011 titled Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions. As the title implies, it’s not just Sharon Isbin. She reached outside the classical guitar realm to pull in the likes of Steve Vai, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Stanley Jordan and others. The video below includes a bit of […]

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The Realities of Programming

Musical Interpretation and Musicianship

Fashioning a program out of distinct pieces is the necessary first step towards a successful performance, yet as a process it is often overlooked. Giving thought to “what to play” and “when to play it” can lead to more and often better gigs, such as those promoted by cultural associations and concert series. Perhaps even […]

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Dr. Ron Purcell may not be a name young guitarists are familiar with, but everyone is familiar with his work. Most notably, Purcell was one of the folks responsible for the Guitar Foundation of America’s inception and he founded the guitar department at California State University Northridge. Purcell was also the director of the International […]

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The Tantalus Quartet just recently added a new member to their line up: guitarist Adam Foster. The full press release is below. The Tantalus Quartet is thrilled to welcome Canadian guitarist Adam Foster as the newest member of Tantalus Quartet. Adam’s playing combines elegance and sensitivity as a result of study with guitar luminaries Alex […]

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This is a guest post by Bradford Werner of Classical Guitar Canada. There is a long-time traditional in the classical guitar world that “our instrument is hard,” or “classical guitar is an imperfect instrument but we do our best.” None of this is true. I used to say it to cover up my own insecurities […]

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Andrew York wins at the internet. I doubt he consciously made up a plan at how he was going to do that winning (perhaps I’m wrong), but there are several things we can learn from him. 1. He’s Everywhere (sort of) York is on twitter, facebook, youtube (not 100% on that one) and reverb nation. […]

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The Paris Guitar Duo in Columbus, GA

Classical Guitar Concert Reviews

This is a guest review by Andy Jurik Taking the stage after a brief delay due to nail issues, the Paris Guitar Duo nonetheless seemed calm and professional as they opened their concert at the 2011 GFA Convention. The duo, Judicaël Perroy and Jérémy Jouve, are both prize-winning French guitarists who program their repertoire with […]

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Johannes Möller in Columbus, GA

Classical Guitar Concert Reviews

This is a guest review by Andy Jurik The winner of last year’s GFA competition in Texas, Johannes Möller’s performance in Columbus, Georgia was in anticipation of his upcoming tour booked in conjunction with his victory. Unlike most winners of past GFA conventions, however, Möller presents a program comprised in great part of his own […]

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Irina Kulikova plays Tedesco

Monday Motivation

Yesterday’s post about competition winners included a video of a piece by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Naturally, I was sucked into Youtube for a chunk of time and came across this video of Tedesco’s concerto in D major. The soloist is Irina Kulikova. If you like what you hear, check out Irina’s Guitar Recital CD from Naxos.

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2011 Ligita Competition Winners

Classical Guitar News

The The Liechtensteiner Gitarrentage was held July 2-9, 2011 in Liechtenstein. Each round was, for the most part, free choice. During the second, however, competitors had to include one piece by Bach; during the final round, a piece by Regondi was required. The first prize winner received a 5,000 Euro prize, a concert guitar, several […]

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