Two performances by Grammy Award winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, master classes and a luthier workshop will be among the highlights of the Art of the Guitar Festival at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Starts Wednesday, Jan. 30
The five-day festival, a collaborative effort of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and the Fredonia Guitar Society, runs from Wednesday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb 3.
Also Paul O'Dette, Marko Feri, James Piorkowski, Evan Drummond
In addition to Ms. Isbin, featured guest artists at the Art of Guitar Festival will include world-renowned early music specialist Paul O'Dette and Slovenian guitarist Marko Feri. SUNY Fredonia guitar faculty members James Piorkowski and Evan Drummond will also perform. Each of the five concerts will be preceded by a brief chamber music performance by Fredonia School of Music students.
Concerts through Saturday
The festival will begin with a free concert by Mr. Piorkowski and Mr. Drummond on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall of solo classical guitar music.
On Thursday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m., Mr. O’Dette will perform solo works on Elizabethan Renaissance lute and Spanish Baroque guitar, also in Rosch, with tickets $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Ms. Isbin will present the first of her two performances on Friday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m., in a solo guitar recital, again, in the acoustically superb Rosch Recital Hall. Tickets are $28 for adults and $14 for students.
On Saturday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m., Mr. Feri will perform in Rosch with tickets $10 for adults and $5 for students, in a concert reflecting his trademark dazzling and emotional performance style.
Free Luthier Workshop by Jim Holler
Additional festival events include a free workshop with luthier (guitar maker) Jim Holler of Jamestown, on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Mason Hall Room 1024. His presentation, “Anatomy of a Classical Guitar,” will discuss the complex and demanding process of crafting a classical guitar. The class will investigate the science and properties of the woods and other materials used in guitar construction, and will be guided by questions from those in attendance. The festival also includes a free guitar master class with Mr. Feri Sunday, Feb. 3, at noon in Diers Recital Hall.
Final Concert Sunday with WNY Chamber Orchestra
The festival will conclude with a Sunday, Feb. 3, 4 p.m., concert of the Western New York Chamber Orchestra with Ms. Isbin performing Joaquin Rodrigo's beloved "Concierto Aranjuez" and other Spanish favorites in King Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students.
Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, Ms. Isbin has been hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time.” She is also the winner of “Guitar Player” magazine’s “Best Classical Guitarist” award, the Madrid Queen Sofia and Toronto Competitions, and was the first guitarist ever to win the Munich Competition. She has given sold-out performances throughout the world in the greatest halls including New York’s Carnegie and Avery Fisher halls, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican and Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Paris’ Châtelet, Vienna’s Musikverein, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Madrid’s Teatro Real and many others.
Tickets and Packages
An Art of the Guitar series package is offered at a discounted price of $50 for adults and $15 for students (all concerts are general admission seating). Single tickets are also available. Those interested should contact the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office at 716-673-3501 or 1-866-441-4928, or online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets.
The festival schedule is also available on the School of Music website at www.fredonia.edu/music/.
Opening Concert Dedication
The Opening Concert for the Art of the Guitar Festival (Wednesday, January 30 at 8pm) will be dedicated in honor of Piper Walnicki, daughter of Brian Walnicki and Lydia Evans of Fredonia. Piper is currently awaiting a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with Biliary Atresia shortly after birth. Brian Walnicki is the principal violist with the School of Music’s ensemble-in-residence, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra. All funds collected will be donated to the Walnicki family to help with transplant-related expenses.
Sponsors
The Art of the Guitar Festival is made possible by support from the Fredonia College Foundation, the Carnahan-Jackson Fund for the Humanities of the Fredonia College Foundation, the Faculty Student Association, WNED-FM Radio, Wal-Mart, D’Addario Strings, Crino Music, and a gift from Dr. James and Marcia Merrins.
