Festival promises guitar music feast
Aficionados of classical guitar are in for another feast of the genre when the fourth annual Bermuda Guitar Festival opens on Thursday under the auspices of the Bermuda School of Music (BSM).
Launching the five-day event, which includes three master classes, is a free lunchtime concert at 1 p.m. given by BSM faculty members, including guitar instructors Stephen Crawford, and Louise Southwood.
Mr. Crawford will play movements from the famous Aranjuez “Concerto by Rodrigo”, accompanied by pianist Oliver Grant, while Miss Southwood will play “Kuyuwbaba”, a Turkish piece by Domeniconi.
The two guitarists will be joined by cellist Caroline Easton for the premi|0xe8|re performance of Bermudian musician/composer Milt Robinson’s original work, “Summer Light”. Finally, Miss Southwood and BSM violinist David France will perform two tangos by Argentinian composer Piazzolla.
Glaswegian Mr. Crawford began playing guitar at age 15 and was in a rock band before studying with James Polland, who remains a profound musical influence. He has participated in master classes in Scotland, England and the US with such “guitar greats” as Scott Tennant, Andrew York, and Manuel Barrueco at Bath University. Mr. Crawford performs regularly with flutist Nancy Smith in “Tooz Company”, and has given concerts in England and Scotland as well as here. In 2002 he was a Bermuda Festival guest artist. He founded the Bermuda Guitar Festival in 2004.
Paris-born Miss Southwood began studying with eminent guitarist Carlos Bonnell at age 12.
Graduating from London’s Royal College of Music with a Bachelor of Music (honours) degree, she travelled extensively throughout Australia before forming an acclaimed guitar/flute duo in London with David Chandler.
On the evening of May 31, one of the world’s leading classical guitarists, David Leisner, will make his Bermuda debut in a solo concert at 7.30 p.m., also at St. Andrew’s. His programme will include Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue” as well as his own compositions.
He will also give a master class in classical guitar technique on Sunday, June 3 at the Bermuda School of Music.
Award-winning Mr. Leisner is regarded as an extraordinarily versatile musician who is not only an electrifying performer but also a distinguished composer and master teacher whose talents have earned him plaudits by critics and audiences around the world.
He is also a featured recording artist for Azica Records and has released four highly-acclaimed solo CDs by such composers as Bach, Villa-Lobos, Merz and Schubert. He will soon release an album of his own compositions.
For further information see website www.davidleisner.com
On Friday, June 1 at 7.30 p.m., US acoustic guitar virtuoso Michael Chapdeline returns to the Festival by popular demand to give a solo concert at St. Andrew’s.
His wide-ranging repertoire includes everything from Bach to Motown, the Beatles, and more, and he plays both classical and steel-string guitars.
He is the only guitarist ever to win first prize in the world’s top competitions in both the classical and fingerstyle genres. His performances, played on both steel string and classical guitars, regularly dazzle and surprise his audiences with his artistry.
His “Sonata Romantica” CD is regarded by many critics and connoisseurs as one of the definite recordings for the instrument.
He arranged, produced and recorded Time-Life Music’s beautiful “Guitar by Moonlight” collection which sold 250,000 copies in its first two years
Mr. Chapdeline gives master classes all over the world, and Bermuda is no exception. Here he will give a master class at St. Andrews on June 2.
Indian-born Oliver Rajamani, whose dynamic group was rapturously received during his debut performance last year at City Hall, is also returning, this time with a small ensemble, for a Saturday, June 2 performance at 7.30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s during which audiences are again expected to thrill to an artist who is described as having “redefined gypsy music by taking it back to India (homeland of the Roma Gypsy) to its original roots ... and literally destroying borders”. Mr. Rajamani will also give a master class in flamenco rhythms and techniques at St. Andrew’s on June 2.
Mr. Rajamani is a renowned world-music artist who is credited with keeping alive the ancient and vanishing folk music of South India.
Hailing from India, Mr. Rajamani has both the magic and spirit of his homeland in his blood and the fire and passion of gypsy music. India is the homeland of the Roma gypsy, and Mr. Rajamani has travelled extensively in Greece and Israel studying their communities and music, as well as Middle Eastern music. He is also trained in classical Indian music.
The Festival will conclude with a gala concert at St. Andrew’s on Sunday, June 3 at 6 p.m. given by guitar students of the Bermuda School of Music.Tickets ($30) are available from the Bermuda School of Music
