SUNY Distinguished Professor James Piorkowski of the Fredonia School of Music, who has been head of the Classical Guitar Program since 1983, has a multifaceted agenda for his sabbatical leave this spring.
He has been invited to perform and teach at Szeged University in Hungary, where he will participate in the Szeged International GuitarFest. The festival has an 18-year history of sold-out performances and has featured artists from 31 countries and five continents. Professor Piorkowski’s recital program will feature his original compositions for solo classical guitar. He will then travel to Buenos Aires to research the music and dance of tango and milonga, and will also perform recitals of his own compositions in Argentina. Buenos Aires is one of the most important birthplaces of tango, originating there in the late 19th century.
In addition, Professor Piorkowski will be preparing manuscripts of his original compositions “The Struggle of Jacob” (composed for four guitars), “Tucson Two-step” (for two guitars), “In the Shadow of Winter’s Moon” and “Who Do You Say I Am?” (both for solo guitar) for publication by Seconda Prattica.
