Portland Classic Guitar Presents Paul Galbraith in Concert Friday, October 16th
Portland Classic Guitar (PCG) is thrilled to present the first artist in its much-anticipated 2015-6 concert season: Paul Galbraith. Galbraith, a beloved veteran of PCG seasons past, will perform in St. Anne’s Chapel on the campus of Marylhurst University on Friday, October 16. The music will start promptly at 8 PM. In keeping with the series’ theme of education, Galbraith will conduct a master class the following day, at 11 AM, also at Marylhurst.
It is no exaggeration to say that Galbraith is one of the most innovative guitarists in the world. He is immediately recognizable for his unique playing posture (he positions the guitar vertically, like a cello), as well as for the custom instrument he uses, also known as the “Brahms Guitar.” Galbraith conceived of this remarkable instrument—which has eight strings instead of the usual six—while arranging a Brahms piano piece (“Variations on an Original Theme Opus 21A”). The piece seemed to require a greater tonal range than the traditional classical guitar could comfortably provide; consultation with Italian guitarist Stefano Grondona and world-renowned English luthier David Rubio led to the design and production of the new instrument, which Galbraith publicly premiered in 1993. The Brahms guitar has since become a hallmark of Galbraith’s work, and one of the key reasons for the high esteem in which he is held throughout the music world.
The other reason for that esteem, of course, is that Galbraith is a brilliant musician. Known in particular for his transcriptions of music originally intended for other instruments, he has numerous CDs to his credit, covering a variety of ground: from Brahms to Bach to Debussy to Couperin to folk music. The best known of these may be Galbraith’s recording of Bach’s complete violin sonatas and partitas; it was nominated for a Grammy award and chosen as an album of the year by Gramophone magazine. Galbraith has also been a featured soloist with many of the best orchestras in the world, including the Royal Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the BBC Philharmonic, the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, and many others. He appeared with the St. Petersburg String Quartet in the premiere of Georgian composer Zurab Nadarejshvili’s “Rhapsody for Guitar and String Quartet,” and is a frequent festival favorite.
To order tickets, or for more information, call 503-654-0082, or visit portlandclassicguitar.com.