Below are listed upcoming and past classical guitar related events in Merseyside and the North West of England:
Liverpool Guitar Society will perform Oxton-born Cyril Scott’s Sonatina arranged for guitar by Richard Harding at the Birkenhead Priory (Priory St, Birkenhead CH41 5JH). This piece commissioned by Andrés Segovia in 1927 was thought lost and only rediscovered in 2001. The programme will in addition feature works written by other English composers. Soloists from the Liverpool Guitar Society will be showcasing their talents with pieces from the classical guitar repertoire.
Paul Costello gave a concert as part of the International Guitar Festival Great Britain at the West Kirby Arts Centre.
Paul Costello has performed in Europe and the UK with musicians from the worlds of jazz classical folk and world music. His solo guitar performances defy easy categorization weaving together the many strands of his own musical journey to create music that is beautiful compelling and very much his own.
Graham Anthony Devine gave a concert as part of the International Guitar Festival Great Britain in the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead.
Widely considered as one of the best guitarists of his generation, Graham is currently in much demand as a recitalist and concerto soloist. He has performed at many of the world’s leading recital venues such as the Wigmore Hall (London) Purcell Room (London) Palau de la Musica (Valencia) Hakuju Hall (Tokyo) Phoenix Hall (Osaka) etc. He has also been invited to give masterclasses at festivals and musical institutes throughout the world. His huge repertoire covers music from the renaissance period to most major twentieth century works written for the guitar, including rarely performed masterpieces such as Maurice Ohana’s compositions for ten-string guitar.
Miloš Karadaglić gave a concert as part of the International Guitar Festival Great Britain in the Blue Lounge of the Floral Pavillon in New Brighton.
Firmly positioned as a leading exponent of his instrument he continues to top record charts and delight audiences worldwide. His first three releases on Deutsche Grammophon achieved major chart successes around the globe and turned him into “classical music’s guitar hero” (BBC Music Magazine) overnight. His 2014 recording of Rodrigo’s concertos had the Sunday Times calling him “The King of Aranjuez”, while “Blackbird – The Beatles Album” (2016) was received with unanimous acclaim.
Xuefei Yang gave a concert as part of the International Guitar Festival Great Britain in the Blue Lounge of the Floral Pavillon in New Brighton.
She is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. Hailed as a musical pioneer – her fascinating journey began after the Cultural Revolution, a period where Western musical instruments & music were banned. Fei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school, & became the first internationally recognised Chinese guitarist on the world stage.
Eleanor Kelly and the Woodside String Quartet performed works for classical guitar and string quartet from Argentina, including music by Astor Piazzolla and Claudia Montero at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead.
Eleanor and the quartet had the honour of giving the UK premiere of Montero’s Latin Grammy award-winning Luces y Sombras in March at the Angel Field Festival; if you missed it there, hear it at the Williamson Art Gallery on 24th May instead!
This is a fundraising concert to help raise money to support Eleanor’s education on the prestigious Máster en Interpretación de Guitarra Clásica course at Universidad de Alicante.
On Thursday, 28th March, our musical director Eleanor Kelly will be played together with the Woodside String Quartet as part the Angel Field Festival. They presented a programme of South American music for classical guitar and string quartet, with compositions by Astor Piazzolla and Claudia Montero. The concert included the UK premiére of Montero’s piece Luces y Sombras.
The concert took place at the St Francis Xavier’s Church, Salisbury Street, Liverpool, L3 8DR at 7:30 pm.
The Gjylaci Duo (guitar and violin) did perform a recital in Heswall ( United Reformed Church, Telegraph Road, Wirral, CH60 7SE, Wirral) for the ‘Serenades on Sundays’ series.
The Zorya Guitar Duo played their programme entitled ‘From Bach to Balkan’ at the German Church in Liverpool (Bedford Street South, L7 7BT).
The Zorya Guitar Duo was founded in 2014 by Antonio Peršak and Borna Kuća when studying in Croatia. They studied at the prestigious Varazdin School of Music under the tutelage of classical guitarists Moreno Vinceković and Ninoslav Plantak and through playing together, Antonio and Borna quickly cultivated a musical chemistry that has resulted in a dynamic and exciting performance style. After winning first prize at several national and international chamber music competitions, they continued their classical guitar studies with the internationally renowned guitarist Craig Ogden at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
The Zorya Guitar Duo perform a wide range of repertoire from early Renaissance to Contemporary music. However, much of the duo’s energy has been directed towards performing Baroque and Balkan music, a style of music that is traditional to their country. Their love and appreciation for Balkan traditional music has taken them on numerous adventures and it has given them the opportunity to shape and develop their style as a guitar duo. While continuing to perform classical works by composers such as Bach, Scarlatti, Rodrigo, and Ravel, the Duo’s aim is to promote Balkan music which in itself gives the audience a colorful diversity of musical styles and cultures.
The Orchestra dell’Arte and Jon Giylaci performed the Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in the concert room at St George’s Hall.
Jon studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester under the internationally acclaimed guitarist Craig Ogden, gaining his Bachelor of Music degree and his Postgraduate Diploma in Performance with distinction. Jon has given concerts, recitals and masterclasses across the UK and Europe and has appeared in venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields, Cadogan Hall, The Bridgewater Hall and Liverpool University to name but a few. Jon was invited to Manchester Guitar Circle’s ‘70th Anniversary Concert’ where he performed alongside the celebrated Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang. He has also given solo performances at Chester Guitar Circle and London’s Ealing Guitar Society.
The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet played as part of the University of Liverpool lunchtime concert series in the Leggate Thatre at the Victoria Gallery and Museum, Victoria Building, 150 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF.
Recognised as one of the world’s leading guitar quartets, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet is a dynamic and innovative ensemble known for its extraordinary ensemble in performance and expansive repertoire. The quartet has performed extensively across the UK and abroad to critical acclaim, and is admired for its original arrangements of music from a wide range of styles, periods and cultures. They have received many awards and their recordings for Chandos Records have been widely acclaimed.
Running alongside our Strings Festival programme on Saturday, the Royal Northern College of Music has a series of events focused on classical guitar:
12.45pm Lecture with Tom McKinney
2.15pm Guitar Masterclass with Craig Ogden
4.30pm RNCM Guitars Concert
6pm Guitar Ensemble Workshop with Rory Russell
Galina Vale returns to Southport, back by popular demand.
A child prodigy raised in a family of musicians, Galina’s performing career began at the age of eight with an appearance on Ukrainian State Television. An international star, this flamboyant virtuosos guitarist has won numerous prizes around the globe and has performed more than 2,000 concerts across west and eastern Europe, USA, central America, Africa and Asia.
Flamenco concert by Samuel Moore at St Mary’s Creative Space in Chester.
Samuel Moore is the distinguished flamenco concert recitalist and accompanist who learnt his craft as a one to one student of the internationally acclaimed guitarist Juan Martín. Over the past ten years Samuel has performed in concert halls across the UK, Europe and North America and has also performed and been interviewed on BBC Radio 3, alongside many other national media appearances. Samuel is well known for presenting beautifully crafted and diverse solo flamenco guitar sets that bring to life the intoxicating rhythms, colours and sounds of Andalucía, in a burst of glorious improvisation and virtuoso flamenco technique.
Davide Sciacca gave a guitar concert (featuring Eleanor Kelly) in the Caledonia Pub, 22 Caledonia St, with music spanning from Rossini to the Beatles.
Davide Sciacca Guitar Recital at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, Liverpool
With multiple degrees and Masters achieved in the most important Sicilian and Italian conservatories, Davide Sciacca shares his time between his teaching activities in schools and conservatoires, and his career as an international music performer. In 2016 he performed in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family at Crathie Kirk, Crathie, Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
The Ten Strings Duo, consisting of Davide Sciacca ad Marianatalia Ruscica were playing violin and guitar duos with the program including work by Laurent Boutros, Andrea Amici and Roberto Cipollina. The performance took place at the Write Blend bookshop in Waterloo.
Saturday 4th August 2018, 7:00 pm
Huogo Zuleta Garcia gave a concert of solo guitar music at the Williamson Art Gallery. He played tribute to Frederic Chopin, and Spanish and Latin composers. The second part of the evening was mostly be dedicated to the work of Maestro Antonio Lauro (1917-1986,) considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the guitar in the 20th century.
Beverly Henry and Ruth Fielding, known as the Duo Piacevole, were performing a varied programme ‘Bach to the Beatles & Beyond’ on Saturday 14th July in Warrington.
Newchurch Parish Church, Church Lane Culcheth, Warrington, WA3 5ET
Graham Anthony Devine gave a concert on Friday 6th July at 7.30pm at the St Mary’s Centre (CH1 2DW, Chester) 7.30pm. He played pieces by J.S. Bach, Barrios and Giuliani.
The Performing Guitarist: This workshop held at West Kirby Arts Centre, presented by Paul Costello, was for classical and acoustic guitarists, at all levels, who wish to become more confident performers.
Players could learn how to prepare for an upcoming show or exam, practise effectively, and memorise new pieces. We will examine issues relating to tone production, and establishing a good rhythmic feel, exploring the mental, physical, and emotional keys to confident, expressive performing.
Subjects covered included visualisation, focusing attention, relaxation, physical posture, and dealing with performance nerves. Practical strategies and exercises were given that provided real and lasting benefits, and plenty of time to discuss individual questions was provided.
A showcase of local talent took place in the wonderful setting of Birkenhead’s Williamson Art Gallery.
Small ensembles from the Liverpool Guitar Society performed an evening recital of duet and quartet pieces.
After many years of playing together John Williams and John Etheridge were joined by classical guitarist and composer Gary Ryan in a colourful and varied programme of solos, duos and trios at the Floral Pavillon in New Brighton. Williams and Etheridge played some of their most popular pieces together and own compositions and Gary Ryan played his own “Benga Beat”. The programme also featured duos played by Ryan and Williams, by Ryan and Etheridge and trio pieces “Malinke Guitars” and “Triangular Situations”.
6 Hands: John Williams, John Etheridge & Gary Ryan
Paul Costello has performed, in Europe and the UK, with musicians from the worlds of jazz, classical, folk, and world music.His solo guitar performances defy easy categorisation, weaving together the many strands of his own musical journey, to create music that is beautiful, compelling, and very much his own. Paul was supported by the Price Roberts Classical Guitar Duo. Paul Costello performed with the Price Roberts Classical Guitar Duo at West Kirby Arts Centre.
Paul Costello with Price Roberts Classical Guitar Duo
Our Patrons the Katona Twins played at the Capstone Theatre as part of the Cornerstone Festival. Their unusual style combines classical, flamenco and finger picking techniques with the energetic stage presence of lead guitarists. The wide repertoire of the duo spans from Bach to Piazzolla’s tango music and from pop, rock and jazz standards to their own compositions. They have travelled throughout the world enthusing audiences in New York, London, Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing, Vienna, Hong Kong and in 2009 they performed live to half a million people in arenas across Europe.
The Cornerstone Festival: The Katona Twins
Galina Vale returned to Southport as part of her Cathedral Tour.
Her performing career began at the age of eight with an appearance on Ukrainian State Television. An international star, this flamboyant virtuoso guitarist has won numerous prizes around the globe and has performed more than 2,000 concerts across west and eastern Europe, USA, central America, Africa and Asia. She was named as an Ambassador of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Running alongside the Strings Festival programme , the Royal Northern College of Music had a series of free events focused on classical guitar, including a masterclass with Craig Ogden and participatory workshop with Rory Russell:
The Chester Guitar Orchestra shared the stage with the Diva Flute Ensemble at the Oddfellows Hall, Chester.
The Chester Guitar Orchestra played works by Bach, Haydn and a selection of arrangements by Andrew Forrest, as well as a seasonal carol medley by Mark Houghton.
More Information
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum Slatey Street, Birkenhead
Players from Liverpool Guitar Society performed an evening recital of solo, duet and quartet pieces as part of the. International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Floral Pavillon Blue Lounge
The renowned guitarist played as part of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Music by Rodrigo, Dyens, Torroba, Theodorakis, French Songs (Barbara, Piaf, Trenet), Bodorova, Tadic.
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