Since 2004, U.S. Classic Guitar (formerly known as Portland Classic Guitar before converting to a non-profit organization in 2018), has presented over 175 concerts in a wide variety of venues across the Portland Metro ranging from small historic churches to much larger venues such as the Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Downtown Portland. Founder and director William Jenks is well known to the Lake Oswego area because he was on the music faculty at Marylhurst University as the guitar instructor and guitar ensemble director between 2015 and 2018 before its closure and prior to that he had a private teaching studio in West Linn. He also presented the guitar series concerts at Marylhurst University between 2011 and 2018, recorded four CDs and he has performed internationally across the United States, South America, and Europe. Jenks continues his commitment to music education by offering private guitar lessons in the Lake Oswego area, directing a community guitar ensemble, and scheduling master classes for each artist performing in the series which will also take place at Christ’s Church Episcopal Parish the day before each concert.
The guitar series will open on Thursday, November 16 with a young musical prodigy from Italy named Cristina Galietto who recently won first prize in the prestigious EuroStrings competition. This will be her first tour to the United States and she has just been granted an artist visa to perform here. Jenks discovered her incredible talent when he was performing a concert and judging a classical guitar competition in Mottola, Italy in July of 2022. Next will be the famed guitarist Irina Kulikova on Thursday, November 30 who is widely acclaimed for the rare beauty of her tone and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. She received over 30 awards for her artistry, including 1st prizes at the most prestigious international competitions.
The series will resume on Thursday, February 22 with Goran Krivokapic where Medici TV stated he is, “One of the most sought-after guitarists of today.” The Montenegrin guitarist won his first international competition in Belgrade at the age of fourteen and continued to win eighteen more including the first prize in the Guitar Foundation of America competition in Montreal, Canada in 2004 where Jenks witnessed his spellbinding performance firsthand. Next will be Croatian guitarist Lovro Peretić on Thursday, March 28 who has won over 30 prizes in international competitions with the most notable being first prize in the EuroStrings competition and first prize in the most recent Guitar Foundation of America competition. Today, he is regarded as one of the leading guitarists of the younger generation with his impressive catalogue of awards and performances, and he is invited to perform concerts at the most prestigious classical music festivals and organizations in the world.
To close this series will be two more female artists with the first being Ana Vidović on Thursday, April 25. Back by popular demand, she has performed more times in the series than any other artist. Ana Vidovic is an extraordinary talent with formidable gifts taking her place among the elite musicians of the world. She is known for her beautiful tone, precise technique, well-defined phrasing and thoughtful artistry and musicianship. Her international performance career includes frequent recitals, concerto engagements and festival appearances in most of Europe’s cultural destinations including Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb. Her tours have also taken her to Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and across the United States. The last artist to perform will be guitarist Geneveive Leitner, on Thursday, June 6. With elegant virtuosity, guitarist Genevieve Leitner plays music from around the world and across time periods. She has performed in Chile, Germany, Mexico, Austria, Italy, Argentina and throughout the US. For six years, Genevieve lived in Santiago, Chile, where she delved into the music of Latin America, focusing on the composers and traditional rhythms from this region’s eclectic cultures. Her solo album, “Enamorada”, features Latin American dances and love songs.
All six concerts will be on Thursday evenings beginning at 7:30 PM with doors opening at 7:00 PM. Complimentary soft drinks, coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be served before the concert and during intermission and wine will be available for purchase. U.S. Classic Guitar staff works hard on creating a warm and friendly atmosphere where patrons can enjoy connecting with others and share a common love for music. Other community outreaches U.S. Classic Guitar will be involved in include scheduling master classes for each artist performing in the series on each Wednesday before the concerts from 7 PM to 9 PM. There will be up to four students taught live in front of a class of auditors and there will be time for questions and answers. The cost is $25 to audit each master class and $75 to perform in the master class.
Season Tickets for the series start at $275 which includes reserved seating, early entrance to the hall, and exclusive invitations to special events such as artist receptions. Individual tickets range from $29 to $65 per concert. Plenty of free parking is available. All events are held at Christ’s Episcopal Parish located at 1060 Chandler Rd., Lake Oswego, OR 97034. Most concerts will be held in the more intimate Miginnis Chapel which features excellent acoustics. Master classes will be held in the Guild Room. For tickets and more information Click Here or call 971-715-8097.
]]>U.S. Classic Guitar is excited to present two special private benefit concerts featuring world-renowned and critically acclaimed Italian guitarist Maurizio Di Fulvio performing duets with his daughter Stefania Di Fulvio (guitarist and vocalist) first at the beautiful home of the grandson of the late Italian composer Mario Castelnoovo-Tedesco in Los Angeles in the Del Vista area on Sunday, April 2 at 4 PM and secondly at the spectacular Cliffs of BellaVista in Hawi, Hawaii with stunning, breathtaking ocean views on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 at 4 PM. Their adventurous and eclectic program is sure to be a crowd pleaser and will feature a wide range of popular, Latin American, and jazz music brilliantly arranged for classical guitar duo by Maurizio Di Fulvio with music by Lady Gaga, Sting, the Beatles, George Gershwin, Astor Piazzolla and much more. Some pieces will also feature Stefania Di Fulvio on vocals. Make reservations here now.
While Maurizio Di Fulvio is well versed in the traditional classical guitar repertoire, he is best known for his rare ability to incorporate traditional classical guitar technique, tone, and sophisticated musical interpretation with the spontaneity of improvisation more typically found in jazz and other contemporary musical genres thus combining the best of both worlds. This is a must-see concert and there will be something for all lovers of music to enjoy. Complimentary light pupus will also be served. Please bring your own drinks. Space is limited and suggested donation is $60 per person. All ticket proceeds go to directly support the artists. Advance reservations are highly recommended. The best time to arrive is between 3:30 and 4:00 PM and that exact address will be emailed to you directly after your reservation is made.
Guitarist, composer, and arranger, Maurizio Di Fulvio, has performed both as a soloist and with various ensembles on a global scale, playing at major festivals alongside some of the most influential musicians in the world, receiving the highest praise by the public and critics alike. Many of his concerts have been recorded and broadcasted live by television and radio stations and some of his performances have grabbed the attention of some of the most important Italian composers of our time including Sylvano Bussotti, Luciano Berio, and Salvatore Sciarrino, who often have entrusted to him the revision, adaptation, and interpretation of their works. His influencers and teachers include Julian Bream, Abel Carlevaro, John Scofield, and Pat Metheny. He has won numerous prizes in International Guitar Competitions and has taught at many conservatories in Italy such as Foggia, Verona, Modena, and Padova. He has been a member of the jury for many prestigious international guitar competitions, and he has taught master classes in universities and conservatories in many different countries on the traditional guitar literature and on the use of the classical guitar in jazz. He has received rave reviews by major newspapers and specialized critics consider him one of the most interesting guitarists on the international scene, calling him: "... versatile and eclectic, with a quick and spontaneous temperament, skilled improviser and refined arranger.”
Maurizio Di Fulvio’s discography consists of 6 critically acclaimed albums with his most recent being released in 2018. The compact-disc 'a vucchella is a musical journey that ideally combines the expressions of the Mediterranean with the colors of Latin America, encompassing inspiration, lyricism and virtuosity. Maurizio Di Fulvio , Alessia Martegiani and Ivano Sabatini, freely and without exclusions of genres and styles, they create a very personal and varied performance of some famous songs. Through singular combinations and with lucid awareness, the three musicians bring together Tosti's romance and the Neapolitan song with Jobim's bossa-nova and the Nazareth choro, Piazzolla's tango-milonga with the Venezuelan waltz, the rumba of Korea with an unreleased song perfectly inserted in the program. Fusion and contamination are the terms that best describe this recording in which technique and heart are certainly not lacking and where a continuous interaction between writing and improvisation is created with fervent imagination by the trio.
Maurizio Di Fulvio and Stefania Di Fulvio Duo Program
George Gershwin Summertime
Sting Fragile
Beatles Yesterday - Michelle
Giuseppe Farrauto Morenita do Brasil
Leonard Cohen Hallelujah
Jacques Revaux My way
Josè de Azpiazu El Vito
Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo al Sur - Milonga
Michael Andrews Mad world
Lady Gaga Shallow
Consuelo Velazquez Besame Mucho
Stevie Wonder Isn’t She lovely
Astor Piazzolla Libertango
Antonio C. Jobim Chega de Saudade
Paulinho Nogueira Bachianinha
Maurizio Di Fulvio Samba for Jobim
]]>U.S. Classic Guitar is doing great work to keep the fine arts alive at a time when it has been most difficult considering we are coming out of a global pandemic and we are currently experiencing a struggling economy. Our audience has been negatively impacted by the pandemic and the increase of crime in areas of downtown Portland and Los Angeles.
With that said, we are not ready to give up yet but we need your help now more than ever.
U.S. Classic Guitar is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization formed with a mission to inspire, connect, and engage our community through the artistry of the classical guitar.. With over 175 concerts presented of the finest classical guitarist in the world since 2005, U.S. Classic Guitar remains committed to bring your top programming, and give university students and underserved communities the opportunity to attend concerts and master classes at no charge but we can only continue to do this with your help.
Please make a donation today or by the end of 2022!
For larger donations, more information on sponsorships, or to donate a different amount other than is listed on the web site, please call us at 971-715-8097 or email us at info@usclassicguitar.org.
Thank You for your support!
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For the Grand Finale of Season 2022, the U.S. International Guitar Series presents the legendary Spanish guitarist Angel Romero performing with world-renowned vocalist Ronit Widmann-Levy this December. The program will include Spanish voice and guitar works by Manuel de Falla, Federico Garcia Lorca, guitar solos composed by Angel Romero's father Celedonio Romero, and two songs from the rare, treasured Ladino music of Spanish-Jewish heritage.
Hailed for his superior artistry as the Spanish maestro of the guitar, Angel Romero’s eminence in the music world as soloist and conductor is heralded by audiences and critics alike. One of the most sought-after musicians of his generation, Angel Romero has appeared in the major cultural centers throughout the world including those of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Munich, Zurich, Chicago, Los Angles and New York among others. He has appeared as soloist with such leading orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. As conductor, he has led numerous orchestras worldwide including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Royal Philharmonic, Germany’s NDR Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Symphoniker, the Beijing Philharmonic, the Euro-Asia Philharmonic, the Shanghai Symphony, the Bogotá Philharmonic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Orquesta de Baja California, the Santa Barbara Symphony, the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra among others. Regardless of his role on stage, his driving intensity and flawless control mark him as a true master of the arts.
In February 2000 Romero was presented the Grand Cross of Isabel la Catolica, Spain’s highest honor, and was knighted Sir Angel Romero in reverence of his astounding musical accomplishments. In 2007, Angel Romero was honored by the Recording Academy, producer of the Grammy Awards, with the Recording Academy President’s Merit Award for his significant contributions to the music world and for his professional career achievements.
Ronit Widmann - Levy has received accolades for her operatic and concert performances throughout the world. A versatile artist equally at home on both concert and opera stages. Ronit has sung in opera houses and festivals in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, Tanglewood, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Berlin, Munich, London, Bangkok and Jerusalem. She sang at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Bath and Dartington Festivals in England, the Jüdische Kulturtage in Berlin, and the America Haus Concert Series in Munich.Ms. Widmann-Levy made her début with the San Francisco Symphony in February 2005 in Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. Since her debut Ronit has regularly performed with Michael Tilson Thomas and the SFS in Carnegie Hall, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Widmann-Levy’s interpretation of Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire has won praise and she has been invited to perform the piece in Europe and the U.S.A.
Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple GRAMMY Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in its 59-year award history. Hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time,” she is the winner of the Toronto, Madrid and Munich ARD Competitions, Germany’s Echo Klassik and Guitar Player’s Best Classical Guitarist awards. Isbin has appeared as soloist with over 200 orchestras and has given sold-out performances in many of the world’s finest halls across 40 countries.
The documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, seen by millions on over 200 PBS stations across the U.S. and abroad, won the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award and is available on DVD/Blu-ray and Amazon streaming. She performed in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed, at Ground Zero for the first internationally televised 9/11 memorial, the White House by invitation of President Obama, and as the only classical artist in the 2010 Grammy Awards.
Isbin’s catalogue of over 35 albums has sold nearly a million copies and reflects her remarkable versatility. Her two recent recordings were named Best of 2020 and feature world premieres composed for her: Affinity showcasing Chris Brubeck’s dazzling guitar concerto, along with works by Leo Brouwer, Tan Dun, Antonio Lauro and Richard Danielpour; and Strings for Peace with India’s legendary sarod master Amjad Ali Khan in a program of ragas for guitar, sarod and tabla. Her 2019 Souvenirs of Spain & Italy with the Pacifica Quartet showcases works by Vivaldi, Boccherini and Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and debuted at #1 on Amazon and #2 on Billboard, and Alma Española with opera star Isabel Leonard, the first Spanish art song album with guitar of its kind in 40 years, was honored with a 2018 GRAMMY Award for Producer of the Year. She appears as a guest artist on bluegrass star Alison Brown’s summer 2022 album release On Banjo.
Other recent #1 bestselling titles include Sharon Isbin: 5 Classic Albums and Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions with rock and jazz guests Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo. Her GRAMMY-winning Journey to the New World with guests Joan Baez and Mark O’Connor spent 63 consecutive weeks on top Billboard charts. Her Dreams of a World soared onto top classical Billboard charts, and earned her a GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Soloist, making her the first classical guitarist to receive a GRAMMY in 28 years. Her world premiere recording of concerti written for her by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun received a GRAMMY and Germany’s prestigious Echo Klassik Award. She received a Latin GRAMMY nomination and GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Music Artist for her Billboard Top 10 recording with the New York Philharmonic of Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez/Ponce/Villa-Lobos concertos, the Philharmonic’s only recording with guitar. Other bestselling titles include Baroque Favorites for Guitar with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and her GRAMMY-nominated Journey to the Amazon with Brazilian percussionist Thiago de Mello and saxophonist Paul Winter.
Sharon Isbin has been acclaimed for expanding the guitar repertoire with some of the finest new works of our time and has commissioned and premiered over 80 works by world-renowned composers. Works written for her by John Corigliano, Joseph Schwantner and Lukas Foss are featured on her American Landscapes, the first-ever recording of American guitar concerti. (In November 1995, it was launched in the space shuttle Atlantis and presented to Russian cosmonauts during a rendezvous with Mir.) Among many other composers who have written for her are Joan Tower, David Diamond, Aaron Jay Kernis, Leo Brouwer, Howard Shore, Ned Rorem and Ami Maayani, with highlights including John Duarte’s Joan Baez Suite, and a duo by rock guitarist Steve Vai which they performed in Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet. Recent premieres of compositions written for her include a work by Richard Danielpour co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and by Chicago’s Harris Theater, and Affinity: Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra by Chris Brubeck which honors his father Dave Brubeck. Upcoming world premieres include a new work for her by Schwantner which she will premiere with the Pacifica Quartet and a concerto by Missy Mazzoli.
Recent highlights include a 21-city Guitar Passions tour with jazz greats Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo, sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall, including a collaboration with Sting. Her latest partnership, Strings for Peace, with sarod master Amjad Ali Khan, is an eloquent and impassioned call for harmony—in music, religion, and culture throughout the world.
As a chamber musician, Isbin has performed with the Emerson String Quartet and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, soprano Jessica Rivera, and has shared the stage with luminaries from Aretha Franklin to Muhammad Ali.
Isbin studied with Andrès Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia, and with noted Bach scholar and keyboardist Rosalyn Tureck with whom she collaborated on landmark editions/recordings of the Bach lute suites for guitar (Warner Classics/G. Schirmer). She authored the Classical Guitar Answer Book and is Director of guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School which she created in l989.
Please visit her on Facebook, Twitter and www.sharonisbin.com
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The sterling reputation of David Russell has been continually confirmed by repeated appearances in virtually every major concert venue across the globe including those of London, Tokyo, Madrid, Toronto, Rome, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Portland and many more and now he will be making is Hawaii debut. Concert-goers everywhere are in awe of his musical genius and inspired by his captivating stage presence. His love of his craft resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performance. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest an innate understanding of what each individual composer was working to achieve, bringing to each piece a sense of adventure.
In 2018, Mr. Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Music by the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014, and in 2004 he won a Grammy Award for his CD called Aire Latino in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music. In May 2005 he received a homage from the music conservatory of Vigo, Spain culminating with the opening of the new Auditorium, to which they gave the name "Auditorio David Russell".In 2009, David was named honorary member of "Amigos de la Guitarra", the oldest guitar society in Spain.
Mr. Russell is a prolific recording artists, and his discography includes seventeen CDs with Telarc International. The New York Times wrote about his performance: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension". Upon hearing play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote: "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique"..
During his studies at the Royal Academy, David Russell won twice the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition , the José Ramírez Competition and Spain's prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition .
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This special 60th Anniversary Tour featuring the Romero Quartet (consisting of Celin, Pepe, Celino, and Lito Romero) is a celebration of the birth of the quartet by the founding patriarch Celedonio Romero. Rightly called the “Royal Family of the Guitar,” not least because of their invention and perfection of the guitar quartet format, the Romeros are the world’s only dynasty of guitar virtuosi, spanning three generations. The renowned Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo referred to them as “the grand masters of the guitar,” an assessment confirmed by the Leipzig Volkszeitung, who dubbed them the “Guardians of the Holy Grail of the Classical Guitar,” adding that “[w]hat the ‘Three Tenors’ are to the world of opera, The Romeros are to the classical guitar.”
The sterling reputation of the Romeros has been continually confirmed by repeated appearances with virtually every major symphony orchestra in the United States including those of Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit and many others. The family has twice been invited to the White House; in 1983 they appeared at the Vatican in a special concert for His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and in 1986 they performed for His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. Regular festival appearances include the Hollywood Bowl, Blossom, Wolf Trap, Saratoga, Flagstaff and Garden State.
For over 60 years three generations of Romeros have inspired composers to enrich the repertoire of guitar quartet with orchestra, which includes works by such distinguished composers as Joaquín Rodrigo, Federico Moreno Torroba, Morton Gould, Francisco de Madina, Lorenzo Palomo and others. Television fans have seen and heard the Romeros many times on television among them, the Tonight and Today shows as well as on PBS specials and PBS's telecast of Evening at the Boston Pops with The Romeros performing Vivaldi and Rodrigo.
His Royal Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain, knighted Celin, Pepe, and Angel into the Order of "Isabel la Catolica", Spain's highest honor. The official ceremony took place at the University of Southern California on February 11, 2000, and included a gala concert performed by The Romeros.
Those who are privileged to hear these world-renowned musicians perform have the delightful opportunity to experience a musical phenomenon: "One of the enduring mysteries of musical talent is how skills seem to flow genetically from musical parent to musical child. In the Romero family the flow has been swift and unimpeded. The virtuosity of the four Romeros was uniformly solid and finely considered, as if these techniques had derived from a single mold" (The New York Times).
]]>U.S. International Guitar Series Season 2022 Updated Schedule
Mak Grgic
Mak Grgic Virtual Master Class – Saturday, January 29 at 6:30 PM Pacific Time
Mak Grgic Virtual Concert – Sunday, January 30 at 4:00 PM Pacific Time
The Romero Quartet
The Romero Quartet Hawaii Concert – Wednesday, February 23 at 7 PM at the Kahilu Theatre
The Romero Quartet LA Concert – Friday, February 25 at 7 PM at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Main Sanctuary
The Romero Quartet LA Master Class – Saturday, February 26 at 10 AM
The Romero Quartet Portland Concert - Sunday, February 27 at 4 PM at the First Congregational United Church of Christ
The Romero Quartet Portland Master Class – Monday, February 28 at 11:00 AM at the First Congregational United Church of Christ
David Russell
*David Russell LA Concert – Friday, March 18 at 7 PM at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Main Sanctuary
*David Russell LA Master Class – Saturday, March 19 at 10 AM
*The concert and master class in LA will be available to watch virtually for a pay-per-view audience.
David Russell Portland Concert – Sunday, March 20 at 4 PM at the Garages
David Russell Portland Master Class – Monday, March 21 at 11:30 AM at the Garages
David Russell Hawaii Concert- Sunday, March 27 at 4 PM at the Cliffs at BellaVista
Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin Portland Master Class – Thursday, May 5 at 6:30 PM at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Sharon Isbin Portland Concert – Friday, May 6 at 7 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Sharon Isbin LA Master Class – Saturday, May 7 at 6:30 PM
Sharon Isbin LA Concert – Sunday, May 8 at 4 PM at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Main Sanctuary
Adam Levin
Adam Levin Hawaii Concert – Sunday, June 5 at 4 PM at the Cliffs at BellaVista
Adam Levin Portland Master Class – Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30 PM at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Adam Levin Portland concert – Thursday, June 9 at 7 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
*Adam Levin Virtual Master Class – Saturday, June 11 at 6:30 PM
*Adam Levin Virtual Concert – Sunday, June 12 at 4 PM Pacific Time
Roberto Fabbri and Daughters, Michele Libraro, and William Jenks
Hawaii Concert - Sunday, August 21 at 4 PM at the Cliffs of BellaVista
Portland Concert - Friday, August 26 at 7 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Los Angeles Concert – Sunday, August 28 at 4 PM at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Shatto Chapel
*Angel Romero and Ronit Widmann-Levy
Angel Romero with Ronit Widmann-Levy Hawaii Concert – Sunday, December 4 at 4 PM at the Cliffs of BellaVista in Hawi
Angel Romero Portland Master Class – Thursday, December 8 at 6:30 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Angel Romero with Ronit Widmann-Levy Portland Concert - Friday, December 9 at 7 PM at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Angel Romero with Ronit Widmann-Levy LA Concert – Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 PM at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles Main Sanctuary
*The Angel Romero concerts have been rescheduled to December of 2022. Your tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates.
Doors open 30 minutes before the start of each concert. Season ticket holders will be let in first to select their seats. Enough seats will be held in the reserved section for season ticket holders up to the start time of the concert.
U.S. Classic Guitar is thrilled to announce the U.S. International Guitar Series Season 2022 artist line-up and the return to live concerts and master classes again in the areas of Portland, Los Angeles, and on the Big Island of Hawaii. The concerts and master classes will also be streamed live for a pay-per-view audience that wishes to watch these events virtually. This season will include some of the greatest guitarists in the world including the Romero Quartet, Grammy-winners Sharon Isbin and David Russell, the legendary Angel Romero with renowned soprano Ronit Widmann-Levy, 2022 Grammy nominee Mak Grgic and rising star Adam Levin. The series will also include a concert featuring world-renowned artists Roberto Fabbri and Daughters, Michele Libraro, and U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks.
First, we would like to give a special thanks to the Augustine Foundation for their generous support as well various other individuals, foundations, and businesses. U.S. Classic Guitar is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and we rely on your support. As we enter 2022, please consider making a tax deductible donation, become a sponsor, or join our team of distinguished volunteers.
Our concert and master class venues this season will include the gorgeous historic First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, the Kahilu Theatre in Hawaii, a beautiful private venue on the Big Island of Hawaii called the Cliffs at BellaVista, and our newest exciting venue in Portland called Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
The season will kick off in late January of 2022 with rising star Mak Grgic who has quickly established himself as one of the up-and-coming performers in the guitar genre, whos program includes music as far reaching as works from the avant-garde, film music to the great classics of guitar repertoire and transcriptions of Brahms and Kreisler. Touted as a “gifted young guitarist” by the New York Times, and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by the Washington Post, Mak Grgic [GER-gich] is a star on the worldwide stage. This special performance will include an all J.S. Bach program on a unique well tempered guitar.
Next, in February will be the legendary Romero Quartet performing their 60-year anniversary tour featuring Celin, Pepe, Celino, and Lito Romero. Known to millions as “The Royal Family of the Guitar,” the Romeros have performed in major performance venues of the world, such as Carnegie Hall. They were also asked to perform at the White House and in 1983 they appeared at the Vatican for the Pope John Paul II. King Juan Carlos knighted Celin, Pepe, and Angel into the Isabel la Catolica. Since the Romero family came to the United States in 1957, they have consistently dazzled audiences everywhere and have inspired enthusiastic praise from critics coast to coast. The Romeros have given thousands of concerts all over the world; today, they continue to produce music which is extraordinary. Whether performing as a quartet, duo or as soloists in recital and with symphony orchestra, the Romeros prevail as champions in the realm of classical guitar.
David Russell dazzled our online audience this last March of 2021 with an incredible performance from his home in Spain and now he will be returning to perform for us live this March in 2022 with a completely different program. He received a Grammy-award for his CD called Air Latino, he holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Arizona, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America. He is a very prolific recording artist and his discography includes seventeen CDs with Telarc International. The New York Times wrote about his performance: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension".
Performing in May will be Sharon Isbin who is acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique, and versatility. She is a multiple Grammy-award winner and she was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year and the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in its 59- year award history. Hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time,” she is the winner of Guitar Player magazine’s Best Classical Guitarist award, Germany’s Echo Klassik, Concert Artists Guild’s Virtuoso Award, and the Toronto and Madrid Queen Sofia competitions, and was the first guitarist ever to win the Munich ARD Competition. She has performed with the major orchestras and important venues of the world and her catalogue of over 30 albums from Baroque, Spanish/Latin and 20th Century to crossover and jazz-fusion, has sold nearly a million copies and reflects her remarkable versatility. She is also the director of guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School (which she created in l989 becoming the first and only guitar instructor in the institution’s 100-year history).
Praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post, top prize-winning classical guitarist and recording artist Adam Levin will be performing for us in June. Levin has performed extensively across the United States at renowned venues such as Chicago’s Pick Staiger, Nichols, and Mayne Stage concert halls as well as at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago; Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Jordan Hall; Spivey Hall in Atlanta; repeat appearances at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City; and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In Europe, Levin has performed in some of the finest venues across Spain, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.
August will feature Italian guitarist Roberto Fabbri performing with his two daughters vocalist Francesca Fabbri and violist Valeria Fabbri; Italian guitarist Michele Libraro; and U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks. In 2007, Soundboard magazine stated that, “Roberto Fabbri is flamboyant and technically astonishing - a definite crowd pleaser.” He currently records for Sony classical where he often composes and performs his own music. Michele Libraro is the recipient of “The Golden guitar Prize” at the 7th International Guitar Meeting in Alessandria, Italy in September of 2002 and he is the winner of various National competitions such as those of Genova, Pescara, Taranto, Locorotondo, Napoli and Matera. William Jenks is a rare talent from a new generation of classical guitarists. Not only is he a world class recording artist, sought out for performances and master classes around the globe—he is also the Founder and President of U.S. Classic Guitar. He has performed throughout the United States, South America, and Europe and has taught master classes and served on the jury for several International guitar competitions.
To close the series in December will be the legendary Angel Romero whos is a member of the Romero family but left the quartet to focus on his solo career and conducting. Hailed for his superior artistry as a master of Spanish guitar, Angel Romero’s eminence in the music world as a soloist and a conductor is heralded by audiences and critics alike. One of the most sought-after musicians of his generation, Angel Romero has appeared with the world’s major orchestras, including the LA Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. For these exiting concerts in December, he will be joined by soprano Ronit Widhamm-Levy who is a world renowned vocalist originally from Israel. Their exciting program will include Spanish voice and guitar works by Manuel de Falla, Federico Garcia Lorca, guitar solos composed by Angel Romero's father Celedonio Romero and the two songs from the rare, treasured Ladino music of Spanish-Jewish heritage. Ronit Widmann - Levy has received accolades for her operatic and concert performances throughout the world. A versatile artist equally at home on both concert and opera stages. Ronit has sung in opera houses and festivals in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, Tanglewood, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Berlin, Munich, London, Bangkok and Jerusalem. She sang at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Bath and Dartington Festivals in England, the Jüdische Kulturtage in Berlin, and the America Haus Concert Series in Munich. Ms. Widmann-Levy made her début with the San Francisco Symphony in February 2005 in Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. Since her debut Ronit has regularly performed with Michael Tilson Thomas and the SFS in Carnegie Hall, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Widmann-Levy’s interpretation of Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire has won praise and she has been invited to perform the piece in Europe and the U.S.A.
Please join us for this monumental season by becoming a season ticket holder (our best value) or purchasing individual tickets. Also, we want to ask you to consider supporting U.S. Classic Guitar which is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization at a deeper level by making a tax-deductible donation or joining our group of distinguished volunteers. We also have some great sponsorship packages for businesses. Thank you for your support!
U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks is thrilled to announce the third presentation of the U.S. International Guitar Series Season 2021 featuring the Grammy-winning guitarist David Russell in a solo concert on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 3 PM P.D.T. from his home in Spain. In this special performance, Mr. Russell will be playing an exclusive program for those who have purchased their tickets at usclassicguitar.org. All ticket holders will also be invited to the Zoom reception with Mr. Russell directly following the performance. The majority of the ticket sales go directly to the artist. Thank you for your support!
David Russell will also be performing recitals and master classes in March of 2022 in the next U.S. International Guitar Series Season 2021-2022 in Portland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii when we return to live events again next season. However, this will be a different program so we highly recommend that fans attend both of these concerts. If you purchased tickets for his concerts in March of 2020 that were postponed due to the pandemic, those tickets will be valid for his rescheduled dates in March of 2022 (see usclassicguitar.org for a full schedule).You may also request a voucher for the value of your tickets which you may use for his March 2021 virtual concert and other remaining virtual concerts of the U.S. International Guitar Series 2021.
David Russell will also be teaching a master class proceeding his concert on Saturday, March 20 at 11 AM P.D.T. All guitars students and instructors are welcome to attend this class as auditors for a $25 auditor fee. Guitar students and instructors of a guitar program at a university or conservatory will be comped by U.S. Classic Guitar both for auditing and performing in the class. Four performing students will be accepted in the class and audition videos need to be submitted by a YouTube link no later than March 15. The fee to perform in the class is $75 and $50 for season ticket holders. Please send the YouTube link audition video directly to info@usclassicguitar.org and state in the email your full name, your age, your school or instructor, and tell us a little about the history of your playing. Please make sure that the video has the best sound quality as possible and that both the left and right hands and face of the performer is visible in the video.
Classical guitarist David Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America in 2018, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Music by the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014, and in 2009 David Russell was named honorary member of "Amigos de la Guitarra", the oldest guitar society in Spain. In May of 2005 he received a homage from the music conservatory of Vigo, culminating with the opening of the new Auditorium, to which they gave the name "Auditorio David Russell". In 2004, he received a Grammy-award for his CD Aire Latino in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music. In May of 2003 he was bestowed the great honor of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjorn, the town in Minorca where he grew up. Later the town named a street after him, "Avinguda David Russell.” Also in 2003 he was given the Medal of Honor of the Conservatory of the Balearics. In finally with the recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.
David Russell spends his time touring the world, appearing regularly at prestigious halls in main cities, such as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto or Rome. Concert-goers everywhere are in awe of his musical genius and inspired by his captivating stage presence. His love of his craft resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performance. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest an innate understanding of what each individual composer was working to achieve, bringing to each piece a sense of adventure. David Russell is also a prolific recording artist and his collection includes seventeen CDs with Telarc International.
The New York Times wrote about his performance: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension". Upon hearing play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote: "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique".
During his studies at the Royal Academy, David Russell won twice the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Later he won numerous international competitions, including the Andrés Segovia Competition , the José Ramírez Competition and Spain's prestigious Francisco Tárrega Competition.
]]>Colin Davin opened up the U.S. International Guitar Series with a brilliant performance! Here is an excerpt from his concert where he played Leo Brouwer's Sonata del Caminante.
The series is underway and we are having a Valentine's Day Sale on all concert tickets and season passes. Now is the best time to get your tickets to the series and hear world class artists such as Colin perform right from their homes with high quality sound and video.
]]>To help perpetuate this mission forward in 2021, we will be presenting you six concerts and six master classes beginning this January 31 through June 13 of some of the finest classical guitarists in the world including the living legend Pepe Romero with Celino Romero from the next generation of the Romero guitar dynasty; internationally acclaimed performer and Grammy-winner David Russell; multi top prize winner Antigoni Goni; the famed Tatyana Ryzhkova who has the highest click through rate on YouTube of any classical guitarist; Zaria Meneses who is described as “an arresting performer full of colorful touches” (New York Times); and Colin Davin who is hailed as “the real thing, a player with a virtuoso’s technique, a deeply expressive musicianship, and a probing imagination” (American Record Guide). U.S. Classic Guitar is also committed to furthering education of music specifically in the area of classical guitar and all six concerts will be preceded by a master class.
Because of the current pandemic situation, gatherings of 10 or more people in Los Angeles, Portland, and Hawaii are currently banned so all of these concerts and master classes will be presented to you virtually with high quality sound and video so you can enjoy them in the safety and comfort of your own living room and this season we will be using YouTube for the presentation of our concerts and Zoom for the meet and greet with the artists after the concerts and for the master classes. However, we are keeping a close eye on the current pandemic situation and we will return to live performances again in Portland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii as soon as we feel it is safe for our audience, artists, and staff and the local authorities allow it. Even after the live concerts start up again for our local venues in Portland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, we plan on offering a live streaming version of our concerts indefinitely. We welcome communities from all over the world to attend our online concerts both now and in to the future.
We urge you to support these artists by purchasing a ticket for their concert and master class. Tickets for online shows will be $20 and $15 for seniors. The majority of the ticket sales will go directly to the artists. We also ask for your donations to help cover the costs for our staff, advertising costs, and equipment costs. U.S. Classic Guitar is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization so all your donations are tax deductible. The arts industry including presenting organizations such as U.S. Classic Guitar and individual artists have seen a huge drop in revenue from the pandemic and it is crucial that we all pull together as a community to keep the arts alive.
We know that this is a difficult time for many us financially so U.S. Classic Guitar is continuing our Concert Tickets for All Program which states that anyone may receive a free ticket to any of our concerts or master classes. All you have to do is simply send an email to info@usclassicguitar.org with your full name and request which event(s) you would like to attend and we will comp your tickets with no questions asked and this will remain strictly confidential. We will also be continuing our U.S. Classic Guitar University/Conservatory Outreach Program where all music major students currently studying the guitar as their primary instrument will automatically receive complimentary tickets to all concerts and master classes. This applies to guitar instruction faculty and music professors as well of all universities and conservatories. Just email us at info@usclassicguitar.org with your full name, the institution where you’re are studying or teaching at and we will send you the tickets.
]]>BY MEIZHU LUI ON REVIEWS
View on Big Island Music Web Site
Who could have imagined such an inaugural season for the Hawaii International Guitar Series! Certainly not William Jenks, its visionary founder. Originally there were five concerts planned, to take place on Hawaii Island. But after three impressive performances in Hawi, the world suddenly ground to a halt. But the Series did not: Jenks organized not just two, but three more virtual concerts, broadcast from the artists’ homes to our own living rooms, wherever those might be.
It was fitting that the Series should end with two guitarists right here in Hawaii, Ian O’Sullivan, a native of Oahu, and William Jenks himself, at home on Big Island.
I first heard Ian O’Sullivan when he brought the classical guitar to new audiences by coming to tiny public libraries. Perhaps twenty of us showed up at the rural Laupahoehoe School’s library; he seemed as pleased to see us as he was to see an audience of hundreds at Carnegie Hall. Classic guitar – and classic Hawaiian aloha!
Last week, the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival hosted a roundtable discussion with opera singers of color, who talked about how what is performed, who performs it, and who decides the what and who is almost entirely white/European. Classically trained artists like O’Sullivan with non-European backgrounds feel they must leave behind the musical traditions they grew up with and love. But today, instead of conforming to old expectations, young artists are pushing the boundaries. Ian applies his classical training to Hawaiian music, expanding the possibilities of both.
In this concert, while he has an enormous repertoire, he chose an all-Hawaiian program. He doesn’t sing, but he doesn’t need to; both the melodies and the rippling undercurrent so often heard in Hawaiian music can both be played on one guitar. His own compositions follow Hawaiian tradition; whereas European songs are mostly about the love between men and women, Hawaiian songs are mostly about love of the natural beauty of specific places, love of home, of parents and grandparents. His composition, Mokule’ia, is about the place where he grew up, and the use of classical techniques enrich his music.
William Jenks (above) in a different way kept us anchored in Hawaii. Like Ian, his program was not about fireworks or technical gymnastics. Matching the calm beauty of the ocean visible behind him, his performance was understated and elegant, and the melodic works selected were played at a relaxed pace.
Beginning with some of the earliest music to be written down, he played six Pavanes, slow and stately dances by Luis de Milán from 1536, requiring an even tempo and fullness of tone. Jumping forward to the 20th century, Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos instilled native Brazilian and indigenous music into his works for classical guitar, as Ian is doing with Hawaiian music. Jenks played his 3rd Prelude, an homage to Bach, giving the audience their Bach fix! The first Prelude brings in Latin rhythms, and the contrasting sections allowed Jenks to bring out both the brightness and the deep resonance of his instrument. Unlike earlier music, Villa-Lobos encourages the artist to interpret freely; Jenks’s use of changes in tempo and dynamics was moderate, never trying for flashiness or descending into over-exaggeration.
The familiar songs by Spaniard Francisco Tárrega, Adelita, and Lagrima, as well as Paraguayan Agustin Barrios’ Julia Florida, conveyed a sweet melancholy. And to bring us into the Christmas season, Jenks ended with two traditional favorites, one from Spain, Catalonian Song (or Song of the Virgin), and the familiar hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus. All of these short songs brought us back full circle to the simple melodies and harmonies of Hawaiian music.
In these times, spending a peaceful afternoon with these two impressive artists was a treat. Both are ambassadors of aloha with their generosity of spirit, their desire to share what they love with any and all, and friendly informality that puts everyone at ease. We look forward to what the Series will bring us in 2021!
Next, on Saturday, October 3 at 1 PM (PST) will be a virtual master class for the legendary guitarist Eliot Fisk followed by a concert on Sunday, October 4 at 4 PM (PST) (these are rescheduled dates due to the Oregon wildfires). Eliot Fisk will perform solos and duets with his lovely wife Zaira Meneses from their home in Boston presenting an entirely different and exclusive program including works by Chopin, Brouwer, Bach, Barrios, and more.
Eliot Fisk is known worldwide as a charismatic performer famed for his adventurous and virtuosic repertoire. After nearly 50 years before the public he remains as his mentor Andres Segovia once wrote, “at the top line of our artistic world.” Eliot Fisk was the last direct pupil of Andres Segovia and also studied interpretation with the legendary harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick at Yale University, from which he graduated “summa cum laude” in 1976, and where, directly following his own graduation in 1977, he founded the guitar department at the Yale School of Music.
Zaira Meneses is hailed by the New York Times as: "a captivating edge full of colors and feelings" and is recognized as the first female Mexican classical guitarist with a successful career as a soloist, teacher, and director in the USA. She was also the first female guitarist to record a new 45-minute album of J.S. BACH compositions where she includes her own guitar transcription of the well-known Partita No.2 in D minor.
U.S. Classic Guitar presented their first virtual concert of the U.S. International Guitar Series 2019-2020 season grand finale featuring Grammy-Winner Jason Vieaux which was a success and next on Saturday, September 12 at 1 PM (PST) will be a virtual master class for legendary guitarist Eliot Fisk followed by a concert on Sunday, September 13 at 4 PM (PST) from his home in Boston where he will perform solos and duets with his lovely wife Zaira Meneses presenting a different program than their recent highly acclaimed recital performed at the online Gfest.
Eliot Fisk is known worldwide as a charismatic performer famed for his adventurous and virtuosic repertoire. After nearly 50 years before the public he remains as his mentor Andres Segovia once wrote, “at the top line of our artistic world.” Eliot Fisk was the last direct pupil of Andres Segovia and also studied interpretation with the legendary harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick at Yale University, from which he graduated “summa cum laude” in 1976, and where, directly following his own graduation in 1977, he founded the guitar department at the Yale School of Music.
Zaira Meneses is hailed by the New York Times as: "a captivating edge full of colors and feelings" and is recognized as the first female Mexican classical guitarist with a successful career as a soloist, teacher, and director in the USA. She was also the first female guitarist to record a new 45-minute album of J.S. BACH compositions where she includes her own guitar transcription of the well-known Partita No.2 in D minor.
Check out this interview with Eliot Fisk, Zaira Meneses, and U.S. Classic Guitar President William jenks.
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First, on Saturday, August 29 at 1 PM (PST) will be a virtual master class presented through Zoom. Three performers will be selected with a Q and A section for auditors and guitarist of all levels are encouraged to audit the class. For more information on audition requirements for student performers in our master classes click here.
The solo concert will be on Sunday, August 30 at 4 PM (PST) from his home in Cleveland. If you got the pleasure in seeing him perform in Portland back in October of 2019, you won’t want to miss this because he will be playing an entirely new program including works by Bach, Albeniz, Ponce, several of his own new compositions, and more. Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. His most recent solo album, Play, won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. In 2011, he co-founded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music, and in 2015 was invited to inaugurate the guitar program at the Eastern Music Festival. Vieaux has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1997, heading the guitar department since 2001. He has received a Naumburg Foundation top prize, a Cleveland Institute of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, and first prize in the Guitar Foundation of America International Guitar Competition.
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The End of an Era: Julian Bream, an English classical guitarist and lutenist, passes away at the age of 87.
See the full article here on the Guitar Salon International Blog
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Dear U.S. Classic Guitar Patrons,
We are deeply saddened to find out the legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream has just passed away yesterday at his home in the U.K. at the age of 87. He was an inspiration to so many guitarists and lovers of music. He will be greatly missed and his music and recordings will live in our hearts forever! Thank you Maestro Julian Bream for your incredible contribution to the art of the classical guitar!
William Jenks, U.S. Classic Guitar President
The End of an Era: Julian Bream, an English classical guitarist and lutenist, passes away at the age of 87.
See the full article here on the Guitar Salon International Blog
Because of the current covid-19 pandemic situation, the board of U.S. Classic Guitar has made the decision to finish out the 2019-2020 Portland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii International Guitar Series virtually online through Zoom bringing you the finest in sound and video quality right to your living room hosted by U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks. Not only is this going to be the safest option for everyone, we believe it will also be a lot of fun and a great way for us all to connect during this difficult time. Zoom is quite easy to use and it has a lot of great features such as the ability for the audience to interact with the performers after the concert or ask a question during a master class. William Jenks will give you more information on how to use Zoom and he will schedule a practice Zoom meeting before the first event if you need to familiarize yourself with this platform.
Most importantly the show must go on, and this will provide a way to bring a revenue stream back to our organization so we can continue to bring you top notch performances and guitar related education for years to come. Our organization has seen a 95 percent drop in revenue since the pandemic hit in March and we obviously will not be able to sustain this without your support and the continuation of our programming. Also, the majority of the ticket sales for these concerts will go directly to the artists who have also seen a huge drop in their income since the pandemic hit back in March. We are kindly asking you to help out this situation by accepting the online series for the remainder of your 2019-2020 season ticket, transferring your individual tickets to the online ticket, or donating the remaining value of your individual or season tickets for a tax deductible donation. Also, please encourage your friends and family to purchase online tickets and if you can, please consider making an additional tax deductible donation to help keep this organization going strong.
First, on Saturday, August 29 at 1 PM (PST) will be a virtual master class for Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux followed by a solo concert on Sunday, August 30 at 4 PM (PST) from his home in Cleveland. If you got the pleasure in seeing him perform in Portland back in October of 2019, you won’t want to miss this because he will be playing an entirely new program including works by Bach, Albeniz, Ponce, several of his own new compositions, and more. Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. His most recent solo album, Play, won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. In 2011, he co-founded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music, and in 2015 was invited to inaugurate the guitar program at the Eastern Music Festival. Vieaux has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1997, heading the guitar department since 2001. He has received a Naumburg Foundation top prize, a Cleveland Institute of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, and first prize in the Guitar Foundation of America International Guitar Competition.
Next, on Saturday, October 3 at 1 PM (PST) will be a virtual master class for the legendary guitarist Eliot Fisk followed by a concert on Sunday, October 4 at 4 PM (PST) (these are rescheduled dates due to the Oregon wildfires). Eliot Fisk will perform solos and duets with his lovely wife Zaira Meneses from their home in Boston presenting an entirely different and exclusive program including works by Chopin, Brouwer, Bach, Barrios, and more.
Eliot Fisk is known worldwide as a charismatic performer famed for his adventurous and virtuosic repertoire. After nearly 50 years before the public he remains as his mentor Andres Segovia once wrote, “at the top line of our artistic world.” Eliot Fisk was the last direct pupil of Andres Segovia and also studied interpretation with the legendary harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick at Yale University, from which he graduated “summa cum laude” in 1976, and where, directly following his own graduation in 1977, he founded the guitar department at the Yale School of Music.
Zaira Meneses is hailed by the New York Times as: "a captivating edge full of colors and feelings" and is recognized as the first female Mexican classical guitarist with a successful career as a soloist, teacher, and director in the USA. She was also the first female guitarist to record a new 45-minute album of J.S. BACH compositions where she includes her own guitar transcription of the well-known Partita No.2 in D minor.
The final concert of the 2019-2020 U.S. International Guitar Series grand finale presented by U.S. Classic Guitar will be brought to you aloha style from the Big Island of Hawaii on Sunday, November 15 at 4 PM (Pacific Time) where U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks will perform with Hawaii based guitarist Ian O’Sullivan.
*Please Note: The David Russell and Angel Romer/Nina Kotova concerts have been rescheduled to the following dates, locations, and times:
David Russell Portland Concert - Friday, March 12, 2021 at 8 PM
First Congregational Church of Portland (1126 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR)
David Russell Los Angeles Concert - Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 8 PM
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (540 S. Commonwealth Ave. Los Angeles, CA)
David Russell Hawaii Concert - Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 7 PM
Kahilu Theatre (67-1186 Lindsey Rd, Waimea, HI)
Angel Romero and Nina Kotova Portland Concert - Friday, April 23, 2021 at 8 PM
First Congregational Church of Portland (1126 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR)
Angel Romero and Nina Kotova Los Angeles Concert - Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 8 PM
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (540 S. Commonwealth Ave. Los Angeles, CA)
All individual tickets purchased for the original 2020 dates in Portland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii will be valid for the new rescheduled 2021 dates. More information on the David Russell and Angel Romero master classes will be announced soon. To request a voucher in lieu of your tickets which can be used for other U.S. Classic Guitar events including the online series, please email us at info@usclassicguitar.org.
I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented historic time. We must all pull together to fight this horrible pandemic which is attacking us all at a physical, emotional, economical, and psychological level. We will get through this and these four points came to mind to help us through this time:
The arts matter and the show must go on. Because of your continued patronage and support, U.S. Classic Guitar has created a unique and special experience for our audience and students through the presentation of world-class artists live in concert in inspiring and beautiful venues. Also, we have provided an opportunity for aspiring music students and guitarists to learn from the best artists in the world in master classes, lectures, and private lessons. This important vision and mission of U.S. Classic Guitar has positively impacted our community and will continue to the regions of Portland, Los Angeles, Hawaii and beyond. Thank you for your patience during this difficult time and for your continued patronage.
Due to the extended stay at home order for the states of California, Oregon, and Hawaii, which will very likely be in effect through the end of May, we have made the decision to postpone the Angel Romero and Nina Kotova concerts scheduled for May 15 in Portland and May 17 in Los Angeles. As of now, our plan is to move all the concerts that were postponed this spring to this summer beginning in late June with Grammy Award Winner Jason Vieaux in Los Angeles and the remaining rescheduled concerts will continue through August and possibly September. Stay tuned for the rescheduled dates of the 2019-2020 season this summer and the announcement of the exciting upcoming 2020-2021 series beginning next fall. New dates will be contingent on orders and conditions of local governments. All plans are subject to change as new developments and recommendations for resuming business and events arise.
As with all concerts that are being rescheduled during this pandemic, we are providing the following options for you if you bought individual tickets:
For those that bought season tickets, we will be satisfying the value of your tickets through the rescheduled concert dates this season.
We are not offering refunds at this time because we have made a financial commitment to reschedule the artists rather than cancel and secure the venues for their rescheduled performances. Issuing refunds could jeopardize the continuation of the series. Thank you for your understanding.
When we resume our concerts again, your safety will be our first priority and we will strictly follow local, state, and federal government guidelines. We will take whatever measures necessary to achieve that, such as potentially reducing our audience capacity at concerts to allow for social distancing, exploring the idea of outdoor concerts as weather permits, provide a clean sanitary environment for our audience, and ask anyone to not attend a concert if they are sick and ask them to request a voucher for a future performance. As things develop and change through this time, we will make necessary adjustments in our plans for your safety.
Here are some ways you can help support our organization through this time.
Sincerely,
William Jenks
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Over the last fourteen years, William Jenks has established himself as a premier leader in the industry presenting the Portland International Guitar series which is one of the most important and celebrated classical guitar presenting and educational organizations in the nation with the presentation of over 150 concerts of the greatest classical guitarists in the world including the Romeros; John Williams; Manuel Barrueco; Roland Dyens; the Assad Duo; Grammy award winners Sharon Isbin, David Russell, Jason Vieaux, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and many more. Among the featured performers in the series was famed guitarist Ana Vidovic, who predicted that Jenks’s series would become “one of the most prestigious in the country”—a prediction now fulfilled.
To open this eminent series on Sunday, December 15 at 4:00 PM will be Mak Grgic who is emerging as a star on the world wide stage and is touted as a “gifted young guitarist” by the New York Times, and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by the Washington Post. An expansive and adventurous repertoire attests to his versatility and wide-ranging interests: from the Baroque and Renaissance to music of the cinema; from ethnic music of his native Balkans to extreme avant-garde and microtonal music, Mak'st eraordinary talents and tastes as soloist, collaborator, and recording artist are fueled by his curiosity, imagination, and boundless energy. This concert will take place at a private residence in Hawi with panoramic coastal and mountain views.
On Sunday, January 12 at 4 PM also in Hawi will be Spanish guitarist Virginia Luque who is returning back on popular demand after dazzling our Portland audience two years ago. She plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style, combining extraordinary technical virtuosity with beautiful tone and musicianship. She is a former private student of Andre Segovia and holds a Master’s degree from Julliard School of Music. She is also the music director and conductor of the New York Women's Philharmonic. She has been awarded First Prize at several international competitions, including the "Manuel de Falla" Competition for Classical Guitar in Granada, Spain, and has received the Lincoln Center Scholarship among other awards.
Next on Sunday, February 16 at 4 PM in Hawi will be an exciting concert featuring Polish guitarist Mateusz Kowalski who recently won first prize in the prestigious EuroStrings Guitar Competition held in London (July 2019) which is a competition only open to first prize winners of 17 European Guitar festivals held in 2018 and 2019. In addition to the EuroStrings competition, he also won first prize in numerous other competitions and recorded his debut CD in 2018 distributed by NAXOS.
On Saturday, March 28 at 7 PM at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea will be the legendary Scottish guitarist David Russell who won a Grammy Award in 2004 for his CD Aire Latino in the category of best solo instrumental classical album and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Guitar Foundation of America in 2018. Classical guitarist David Russell is one of the leading guitarists of our time and is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997. Mr. Russell has a vast repertoire and has recorded 27 albums. He has performed throughout the globe in the major concert halls of the world.
The final concert on Easter Sunday, April 12 at 4 PM in Hawi will feature Hawaii and Portland based U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks with internationally renowned Italian guitarist Giovanni Grano . William Jenks has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and Mexico and has recently returned from a tour to Spain, Austria, and Macedonia in May of 2019 where he performed solo concerts, taught master classes, and served on the jury for several international guitar competitions. Giovanni Grano also performs and teaches internationally and has recorded a series of CDs dedicated to romantic and contemporary music for guitar. His most recent CD called Phantasia was recorded and produced by the Italian label Symposium. This will be the annual U.S. Classic Guitar benefit concert which will help support a local need or charity in our community..
In addition to five outstanding concerts, U.S. Classic Guitar remains committed to education and there will be a master classes with Grammy award winner David Russell on Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 AM also in Hawi. U.S. Classic Guitar will also be conducting educational outreaches to local schools.
Season Ticket Holders get the most benefits including over 30% of savings, the best seating in the house, early entrance to each performance, discounts on additional tickets for their guests, and invitations to private events such as artist receptions. Season Ticket holders also receive an audit ticket to the master class. Season ticket holders may transfer their ticket to another person of their choice by emailing us at info@usclassicguitar.org or texting us at 971-715-8097.
Mahalo for your support!
]]>U.S. Classic Guitar and the Jenks Family plan to host annual private summer concerts and musical festivals during the month of August. The Rosette will not replace the Portland International Guitar Series taking place at the Eliot Center in Downtown Portland, but is intended to be an added new summer venue to host a variety of musical genres and events. The new upcoming 2019-2020 U.S International Guitar Series in Portland, Los Angeles and Hawaii will be announced soon with a sneak preview at the Rosette concert.
Come early to celebrate with a Hawaiian Style BBQ from at 5 PM hosted by Michelle Augello and William Jenks. Then kick back and savor the soothing sounds of classical guitar music for the first concert of the evening at 6 PM with a variety of musical styles from the Renaissance and Baroque Eras, as well as music from Spain, Ireland, and Latin America. This concert will feature U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks and U.S. Classic Guitar intern instructor Keaton Woodburn (a former student of William Jenks currently studying with Christopher Parkening at Pepperdine University). The first concert will also feature Rayna Jenks (William’s sister) who is a talented musician. She will sing and play guitar to a set of Irish, folk, and original songs with percussionist Jeff Blackburn. Everyone will join in for a performance of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin where William Jenks will play lead guitar.
The second concert at 8 PM will feature the soulful, bluesy, soft rock sounds of the band Desember comprised of Zach Jenks and Grant Jenks(William’s two sons) and lifelong friend Andrew Torian, with tracks off their new debut album, Chasing the Sun. This exciting new band is quickly gaining popularity across a variety of Portland venues with their original and eclectic style.
Event Details6PM - 1st Concert
8PM - 2nd Concert