Announcing Second Sundays Classical Guitar Concert Series 2011/2012 Schedule
Posted on 23. Aug, 2011 by danikadruttman in Arts, Chamber Music Series, Events, Hotel
The Roger Smith Hotel and Roger Smith Arts would like to announce the Second Sundays Classical Guitar Series 2011/2012 schedule. the series is co-sponsored by the New York City Classical Guitar Society.
The Solarium at the Roger Smith Hotel501 Lexington Ave, at 47th Street, new York NY 10017Cross Street: 47th Street and Lexington AvenueSubway: E, 6, V to 53rd and Lexington or 4, 5, 6, 7 to Grand CentralTickets: $15 (paid at door, cash only)
Reservations: call 212.339.2092 or email
Roger Smith Arts is a multi-disciplinary arts production company providing cultural entertainment as a way to promote dialogue within and between the leading disciplines of the new York and global art worlds. the company’s mission is to establish itself as a pre-eminent and sought after cultural institution to the city of new York. Recognizing dialogue as the backbone of any cultural organization, RSA embraces variety as a means to foster the exchange of creative ideas. RSA produces performance art and site specific installation exhibits, jazz and acoustic singer/songwriter concerts, poetry readings, chamber music concerts, and ongoing speaker series, all with leading creative intellectuals of their various fields.
The mission of the New York City Classical Guitar Society is to provide a framework for the shared enjoyment and exploration of the classical guitar in new York City, and to promote awareness and appreciation of its heritage and influence across musical genres, bringing together performers, composers, supporting members of the guitar community, and the listening public in ways that enrich the experience of all. nyccgs.com
Biographies:
Rafael Aguirre September 11th 2011, 4pm
Born in Malaga in 1984, Spanish guitarist Rafael Aguirre began his musical studies at the age of seven, later graduating with the highest marks possible from the Malaga Conservatory. By his sixteenth birthday, Aguirre had already made his orchestral debut, performing the “Concierto de Aranjuez” with the Malaga Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, on a tour that included several cities across Spain and Morocco. during the course of his education, Aguirre’s remarkable talents have allowed this young guitarist to participate in masterclasses with world-class classical guitarists such as Manuel Barrueco, Leo Brouwer and David Russell. An accomplished performer, Aguirre has also won an impressive list of first prizes at international guitar competitions.
Austin Moorhead October 9th 2011, 4pm
A two-time finalist in the world’s most prestigious guitar competition (GFA), Austin Moorhead was awarded a DAAD Scholarship by the German Government to study with Tilman Hoppstock. he received his Master’s of Music in 2009 from Yale University while studying with Benjamin Verdery on a full scholarship, and his Bachelor’s from Arizona State University while studying with Frank Koonce. he has received first prize in several other well-known National and International Guitar competitions, including the 2008 National Guitar Workshop Competition, the 2007 ECU Guitar Competition, and the 2007 American String Teachers Association competition. he is an active performer throughout the United States and Europe, and has been a guest artist at guitar festivals around the country, including the Classical Minds Guitar Festival in Houston. Austin plays D‘Addario Strings.
The Alturas Duo November 13th 2011, 4pm
The Alturas Duo has been recognized as one of the most engaging ensembles performing in the chamber music world today. the only group of its kind, the Duo was formed with the idea of playing South American and classical music by bringing together the unusual combination of the viola, charango and guitar, and in doing so, creating passionate music that moves at ease between the Baroque, South American folk rhythms and new pieces written especially for the Duo. the Duo has performed in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Bolivia, throughout the US and Puerto Rico including recitals at: Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, La Guitarra California, and the 34th International Viola Congress. the Duo has worked with artists as diverse as: charango virtuoso Ernesto Cavour; guitarist and composer Horacio Salinas; pianist Polly Ferman and Argentine bandoneon legend, Daniel Binelli and has premiered dozens of commissions, arrangements and transcriptions leading to its being awarded the 2009 CMA / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.
Jerome Mouffe January 8th 2012, 4pm
Jerome Mouffe is a virtuoso guitarist from Belgium who has dazzled international audiences with his passionate and spontaneous playing. Jerome has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the Unites States and Western Europe. he released his debut CD, Capriccio, in 2009 on the VGo Recordings label. the album features early nineteenth century virtuoso Italian music. Jerome has a Masters Degree from the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in Belgium and a Postgraduate Diploma at the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg, in Austria. he is currently a doctorate candidate at the new England Conservatory in Boston, under the direction of Eliot Fisk.
Duo Sonidos February 12th 2012, 4pm
Duo Sonidos brings together the talents of violinist William Knuth and guitarist Adam Levin. the duo is at the vanguard of the guitar chamber music world, forging relationships with contemporary composers with the mission of expanding the duo repertoire. in November 2010 Duo Sonidos released their debut album Duo Sonidos, and subsequently, were awarded first prize at the 2010 Luys Milan International Chamber Music Competition in Valencia, Spain. Levin and Knuth have performed throughout the United States and Europe and have been honored as U.S. Fulbright Scholars in the field of music performance in Madrid, Spain and Vienna.
João Kouyoumdjian March 11th 2012, 4pm
Praised for his expressive musicianship by Grammy award winner Sharon Isbin, Brazilian-Armenian guitarist João Kouyoumdjian has played in the U.S., Brazil and Central America. A graduate of the Juilliard School and winner of the 2010 Souza Lima National Competition, João recently had his Carnegie Hall debut recital as well as performing at Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kouyoumdjian has performed in international festivals and concerts and is also currently Artist in Residence of Grace Church in Newark.
Alejandro Cote April 8th 2011, 4pm
Guitarist Alejandro Cote is quickly establishing himself as an exciting new face in the classical guitar scene. he plays regularly throughout the United States and the Caribbean, with engagements at Weill Recital Hall, the Goethe Institute in new York City, the Yamaha Piano Salon, the Cas di Cultura in Aruba, and La Belle Alliance in Curaçao. he has been a featured performer at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Madison Chamber Music Festival and the Water Island Music Festival in the Virgin Islands. Performance highlights last season included a tour in Texas of ten solo recitals for the Austin Classical Guitar Society as well as solo and chamber appearances in Houston, Atlanta and new York.
Rupert Boyd May 13th 1212, 4pm
Australian guitarist Rupert Boyd is acclaimed as one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. he has been described by the Washington Post as “truly evocative”, and by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a player who deserves to be heard.” he has performed throughout North America, Europe and Australia, including at new York’s Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Merkin Concert Hall and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. his solo CD Valses Poéticos received the following review in Soundboard, the quarterly publication of Guitar Foundation of America: “Boyd’s playing is beautifully refined, with gorgeous tone . . . musically and technically flawless . . . [the Granados is] one of the best recorded performances of this work on guitar.”
Texas Guitar Quartet June 10th 1212, 4pm
Forged in Austin as a graduate student group in 2005, the Texas Guitar Quartet has firmly established a reputation as the premier guitar ensemble in Texas. Members Isaac Bustos, Jonathan Dotson, Alejandro Montiel and Joseph Williams II have individually garnered acclaim and critical praise in international guitar competitions and as soloists on concert stages around the world. with their talents combined, they display a virtuosic command of the guitar quartet medium. As a group, TxGQ claimed first prize with “Special Merit” in the 2006 edition of the Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Festival and Competition, one of the few competitions of its kind in the United States. An avid supporter of Texas-based composers, the group has premiered new works by Andrew Dickinson, Alfredo Barros, and mark Anthony Cruz, who in 2010 wrote “Agitato and Departure” for the quartet.
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