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 Portland Classic Guitar Introduces its 2010-2011 concert series
It’s hard to believe it is the start of another stellar PCG concert series. This will be PCG’s sixth season, and as
you might expect, the schedule we have in store for you is nothing short of amazing. Concerts by ten of the very best classical guitarists in the world, most of who
will also be conducting master classes: once again, we are bringing the finest cultural experience to the Portland area.
Before sharing the details of our next concert season, however, we wanted to take a second to
enthusiastically announce the last two concerts of the 2009-2010 season.
First, there is the Acoustic Guitar Summit, featuring Grammy-winning guitarists Doug Smith, Mark Hanson,
and Terry Rob (appearing on September 11, 2010). This group, widely recognized as one of the premiere fingerstyle ensembles in the country, will perform a program of blues, jazz, folk, and pop pieces.
The next concert will feature Portland’s first appearance of an artist who needs no introduction, but whose US
concertizing has been, unfortunately, all-too-rare: the legendary John Williams. Arguably the greatest living
guitarist in the world – and one of those rare guitarists who is well-loved by many who are not otherwise fans
of the genre – Williams will be appearing in the series on October 22, 2010. Again, Williams needs no
introduction, though it should be noted that he studied with Segovia; has worked with such luminaries as
Julian Bream, Itzhak Perlman, Andre Previn, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth and Daniel Barenboim; and records for Sony Classical. Again,a concert not to be missed.
This year’s series begins on Friday, November 19, with a return engagement by Jason Vieaux—an artist who,
according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, makes a “single guitar seem like a body of instruments at work.”
Vieaux plays over 50 engagements a year, is a regular guest with prestigious symphonies and festivals, and
performs an exciting diversity of material. Next up is David Franzen, another popular veteran of the series,
who will be performing on Friday, December 3. As a faculty member at Portland State University, Franzen is
something of a local guitar hero, and has had major engagements with the area’s orchestras, in addition to performances at important venues around the world.
The New Year will provide a festive backdrop for the third concert in this year’s series: the much-anticipated
return of Angel Romero, one of the most beloved and formidably accomplished classical guitarists in the
world. On the heels of last season’s spectacular performance with the Romeros, Angel Romero returns on
Friday, January 21, performing not only as a soloist backed by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra (most
notably on Rodrigo’s famous Concierto de Aranquez), but also as a conductor, leading that orchestra through
several other pieces, a few of which will feature the beautiful vocals of his wife, Nefretiri Romero. Given his
incredible talent and reputation as a guitarist, it is perhaps easy to forget that Romero is also a world-class conductor; this evening will remind you.
Chilean guitarist Carlos Perez is a world-renowned artist who will be making his PCG debut on Friday,
Feburary 25. Classical Guitar Magazine recently called Perez “a master guitarist with true star quality,” and it
is no wonder that he has been the first-prize winner in numerous competitions around the world. Following
Perez will be 22-year-old prodigy Florian Larousse, the most recent Guitar Foundation of America First Prize winner, and the sixth GFA winner that
PCG has presented. Larousse has won numerous other competitions as well, and has studied with
phenomenal guitarists Judicael Perroy and Roland Dyens. He will perform on Saturday, March 19
.
On Saturday, April 2, William Kanengiser, Grammy winner and founding member of the LA Guitar Quartet, will
perform at the First Congregational Church, in downtown Portland. Kanengiser will present a very special
program, including “The Concierto de Los Angeles,” a piece for solo guitar backed by an orchestra of twenty
guitarists, written for him by composer Shingo Fuji. Praised by the Los Angeles Times for his “dizzying
execution” and “exceeding vitality and warmth,” Kanengiser’s impressive career has included performances
with orchestras in virtually every major American city, and at many prestigious venues around the world. He
has also helped to expand the classical guitar repertory, performing and recording works written for him by
composers as diverse as Dusan Bogdanovich, Ian Krouse, and Brian Head, and producing consistently compelling transcriptions of important pieces written for other instruments, most notably Mozart’s Piano
Sonata in A Major.
Berta Rojas, an immensely gifted guitarist from Paraguay, has captivated audiences in the Americas, Europe,
and Asia, and will dazzle PCG concertgoers with a solo performance on Friday, April 29. A charismatic
performer, Rojas has been called “Ambassador of the Classical Guitar” by England’s Classical Guitar Magazine
. Denis Azabagic, of the Cavatina Duo, will follow Rojas with a concert on Friday, May 20. Soundboard wrote
that “Azabagic’s playing is virtually flawless and his technical facility is a joy to see as well as hear.” Winner of
an astounding eleven first prizes in international competitions, this will be his fourth appearance at PCG
.
PCG proprietor and series mastermind William Jenks will give a performance on Friday, June 10. A vital figure
in the Portland area arts community, Jenks is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best-kept secrets. He has
recorded four CDs and performed in a broad range of venues around the world. The 2010-2011 series will
wrap up on Friday, July 8, with a concert by Rafael Aguirre. Aguirre is a prolific prizewinner, and has
performed throughout Europe, working with such prestigious conductors as Mark-Andreas Schlingensiepen and Michael Tilson-Thomas.
As the PCG series continues to raise the cultural profile of Portland, putting it on par with world-class cities
like New York and London, there is no better time to get involved with our next season than right now. As Ana
Vidovic (one of our artists from last season) has said, the PCG series is “quickly becoming one of the most
prestigious in the country.” We hope that you will continue to be a part of the excitement! Again, a limited
number of season passes are available now at the discounted rate: after July 31, the price will go up. We also continue to offer sponsorship opportunities.
Please call PCG proprietor William Jenks today at 503-654-0082 or click here to order your season pass. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your continued support!
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