Sonata A Minor HWV 362 George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Larghetto
Allegro

Sevilla (Sevillanas) from Suite Española Op. 47 Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Robert Gruca, guitar

The Lass from the Low Countree John Jacob Niles (1892-1980)
Reward

Aria from Bachianas Brasileiros No. 5 Hector Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Two Songs From Haitienesques Frantz Casseus (1915-1993)
Assotô (Ceremonial Drum)
Cé Grand Matin (Such a Lively Morning)

Diane Menges, soprano and Brian Kozak, guitar

Intermission

Histoire du Tango Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Bordel 1900
Café 1930
Nightclub 1960

Virginia Crabtree, flute and Benjamin Kunkel, guitar

Prelude from Lute Suite BWV 995 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Julia Florida Agustín Barrios (1885-1944)
Vals, Op. 8 No. 4

The Bat Pat Metheny (b.1954)

Jason Vieaux, guitar

Biographies

Robert Gruca
Robert Gruca is an exciting guitarist who performs a wide range of solo, chamber, and orchestral music from the classical guitar repertoire. In recent seasons he has played solo concerts in over a dozen venues in the United States, including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as in Ontario, Canada. He has been described as a “wonderful and engaging performer” “bringing passion and artistry to his performance.”
In 2004, he toured the eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 under the direction of Franz Welser-Most. Other performances with the Cleveland Orchestra include Kurt Weill’s Little Three Penny Music, Igor Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol under the baton of Pierre Boulez, and Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony with Howard Shore conducting. Robert Gruca made his concerto debut performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Nuvi Mehta.

With his expressive and nuanced musical interpretation and his complete technical command over the instrument, Robert Gruca won first prizes in the Columbus State Guitar Symposium Competition, the Appalachian State Guitar Festival Competition, and the East Carolina University Guitar Festival Competition. He was a top prize winner in the Rantucci International Guitar Competition and a semifinalist in both the Guitar Foundation of America Competition and the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. He also received the 2007 Distinguished Alumni award from Grand Valley State University, Department of Music.
Robert Gruca studied with John Holmquist and Jason Vieaux at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received a Master of Music degree. He is described by both Holmquist and Vieaux as “one of the most talented guitarists” of his generation. Previous teachers include Brian Morris of Grand Valley State University and Roger Humphrey of Olivet College. He has participated in master classes with such prominent guitarists as David Russell, Lily Afshar, Judicael Perroy, Stephen Robinson, Sergio & Odair Assad, Hubert Kappel, Antigoni Goni, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

In a 2006 compact disc, Robert Gruca recorded solo guitar works by Bogdanovic, Koshkins, Dyens, Rodrigo, Schubert and J. S. Bach. He has recently completed a recording of several pieces by Handel including some original transcriptions. That compact disc will be released under the MSR record label in 2009.
In addition to performing, Robert Gruca is a highly motivated and dedicated guitar instructor who has a private guitar studio in University Heights and Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Diane Menges and Brian Kozak
Diane Julin Menges is the Soprano Soloist at First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland, where she has sung numerous works such as Faure Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio. Her concert engagements include Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Vaughan- William’s Serenade to Music with Robert Porco, as well as Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Haydn’s Creation with Robert Page. Ms. Menges has sung Mozart’s Requiem for PAND (Performers and Artists For Nuclear Disarmament), and Canteloube’s Chants D’Auvergne with the Heights Chamber Orchestra. A frequent guest soloist at area churches, Ms. Menges has performed such works as Bach’s Cantata #51, Schubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate. A former member of Apollo’s Fire, she has stepped in for soprano Sandra Simon to sing Bach’s Magnificat alongside Suzie LaBlanc and Elizabeth Shammash, and understudied roles for soprano Meredith Hall. In recital, Ms. Menges performs a wide range of repertoire from Baroque to contemporary. She has enjoyed two successful seasons presenting The Jesus Project A Musical Journey into the Life of Jesus through the Eyes of Poets. Ms. Menges is in the process of copyrighting this work which she created with new music from New York and Cleveland-based composers. On January 23, 2010 she will be featured at The Hermit Club in a musical review from the Big Band Era with singer/dancer Bob Gates.

Brian Kozak is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Baldwin-Wallace College with degrees in Classical Guitar Performance. He’s studied guitar with John Holmquist and Loris Chobanian and performed in master classes with Manuel Barrueco, Aaron Shearer, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Grey and Pearl Duo and many others. Featured as a solo performer at Capital University, Kent State University and Lorain County Community College as well as ensemble performances with Red (an orchestra), the Baldwin-Wallace Motet Choir, the Lorain County Civic Orchestra and the Lakeland Civic Orchestra. A regular performer at the First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland as well as with Latin American, jazz, pop and rock ensembles. In addition to holding a full-time lectureship in the music department at Cuyahoga Community College’s metro campus Jazz Studies Program, Mr. Kozak currently directs the Childbloom Guitar Program of Cleveland and has taught guitar at Baldwin-Wallace College for Loris Chobanian during his sabbatical.

Virginia Crabtree and Benjamin Kunkel
Flutist Virginia Crabtree is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where she received her Masters degree studying with Mary Kay Fink and Joshua Smith. Holding a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, Virginia graduated Magna Cum Laude with Woodwind Departmental Honors in 2007. With performances ranging from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia to concerts for the Seminari Musicali Internazionali in Prato, Italy, Virginia has performed extensively on both flute and piccolo. In addition to these instruments, this Spring Virginia played the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 on baroque flute with the Case Western Early Music Ensemble. A native of San Diego, Virginia has been a member of the California Young Artist Guild since 2003 and in 2006 was a finalist for the Northwestern Concerto Competition. In March, 2008 Virginia was also a finalist for the piccolo position of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and in August 2008 she won second place in the National Flute Association Piccolo Artist competition. Virginia also enjoys teaching music and this Summer served on the flute faculty for the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan.

Benjamin Kunkel grew up in Mankato, Minnesota, where he began playing the guitar at the age of nine. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, studying under guitarist Jeffrey Van, and a Master of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying under world renowned guitarist Jason Vieaux. Benjamin is an active solo and chamber musician, having performed recitals across Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. He has performed in master classes with a number of distinguished artists, including Ricardo Iznaola, Stanley Yates, Ricardo Gallen, Nigel North, Paul O’Dette and Carlos Perez. A dedicated teacher, Benjamin is currently on the faculty of the Cleveland Music School Settlement, and is also a sought after guest instructor, recently giving master classes for the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society and guitar students at Edinboro University.

Jason Vieaux
One of the “leading guitarists of his generation” (Absolute Sound, 2009), Jason Vieaux has earned a devoted international fan base, and each season plays over 50 engagements across the US and abroad. Highlights of the 2009 – 2010 season include recitals for Lincoln Center and 92nd St. Y in New York, two sold-out concerts for Dumbarton Oaks Concert Series in Washington DC, a debut with Charlotte Symphony, and recitals for Spivey Hall, Indiana University, and Toronto’s Mooredale Series. In addition, Jason will travel to Poland and Korea this season, and return to concert series and festivals in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hartford, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Norfolk, Greenville, and Steamboat Springs.

Jason Vieaux has recorded ten commercial CDs to date, including seven highly acclaimed solo records. Bach; Works for Lute, Vol.1 was released in the spring of 2009 on Azica Records, and, after hitting #13 on Billboard’s Classical Chart after its first week, received rave reviews by Gramophone Magazine and The Absolute Sound. Sevilla: The Music of Isaac Albéniz, was rated one of the Top Ten Classical CDs of 2003 by The Philadelphia Inquirer and Cleveland’s Plain Dealer. Images of Metheny is a CD of music by renowned American jazz guitarist/composer Pat Metheny. Metheny, after listening to this landmark recording, declared: “I am flattered to be included in Jason’s musical world.”

Jason Vieaux began guitar studies at age eight with Jeremy Sparks in Buffalo, and continued at The Cleveland Institute of Music with John Holmquist. He is the youngest First Prize winner in the history of the GFA International Guitar Competition, a Naumburg Foundation prizewinner, and a recipient of The Cleveland Institute of Music’s Alumni Achievement Award. Jason Vieaux is Head of the Cleveland Institute of Music Guitar Department.

Colin Davin Recital
Solon Center for the Arts, 6315 SOM Center Road, Solon
July 10, 2009—Friday, 7:00 pm
admission: free will offering
Music of Mertz, Falla, Torroba, Barrios, Ponce, and Tedesco
For more information about Colin, and to hear a new sample of his playing, click here:
http://www.clevelandguitarsociety.com/colindavin.html

Colin’s program:
Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856)
Tarantelle, from Bardenklänge, op. 13
Elegie
Fantaisie Hongroise, op. 65 no. 1

Manuel de Falla (1887-1946)
Homenaje “Le Tombeau de Debussy”

Federico Moreno-Torroba (1891-1982)
Nocturno

Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944)
Julia Florida
Vals, op. 8 no. 4

— Intermission —

Manuel Maria Ponce (1882-1948)
Sonata Romantica

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Sonata “Omaggio a Boccherini”, op. 77

Michael Isla, Master of Music Recital for University of Akron
Saturday July 11, 2009, 3:00 PM
University of Akron School of Music- Guzzetta Hall
Music by Bach, Brouwer, Coste, Rodrigo and Stewart for solo classical guitar.

My instructor Karl indicated that I HAD to get this as it was the best recording of Bach he’s ever heard.

If you also play electric guitar and you want a tube amp, Columbus, Ohio guitarist, Karl Wohlwend, has designed and built The People’s Amp. The first amp built by a peeps for the peeps. Check out the gorgeous sounds that emit from The People’s Amp. Destined to be the next VW Beetle.

Presented by Guitars International, in cooperation with the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Case Western Reserve University Department of Music, this September’s Classical Guitar Weekend features recitals by:

• Colin Davin, guitar—Friday, September 5 at 8:00 PM—Cleveland Institute of Music, Mixon Hall

• Ellen Hargis, soprano & Paul O’Dette, lute—Saturday, September 6 at 4:00 PM—Case Western Reserve University, Harkness Chapel

• Ricardo Gallen, guitar—Saturday, September 6 at 8:00 PM—Cleveland Institute of Music, Mixon Hall

• Jason Vieaux, guitar, Jung-En Oh, soprano, and Regina Mushabac, cello—Sunday, September 7 at 4:00 PM—Cleveland Institute of Music, Kulas Hall

Also Master Classes & Presentations

For ticket information, maps, artists’ biographies, and sound and video clips of the artists please go to:
http://www.guitarsint.com/concert_series.cfm

Or call Guitars International at (216) 752-7502.

From Piano to Guitar . . . and Back Again

Sheet music to Albeniz’s Asturias for Guitar

Asturias By Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909), arranged by Jose Azpiazu. Guitar solo single for solo guitar. E Minor. 5 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.50022920) See more info…

Isaac Albeniz: 26 Pieces Arranged for Guitar Transcribed by Stanley Yates. For Guitar (Classical). Solos. Stanley Yates Gtr. Classic. Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Book. 192 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (97344) See more info…

Suite Espanola, Opus 47 (for Piano) By Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909). Collection for solo piano. Composed 1886. 50 pages. Published by International Music Co. (IM.834) See more info…

Karl Wohlwend offers his thoughts on the tremolo technique via quicktime audio recording. And you can read through suggestions and tips for developing the tremolo technique on a blog he helped with (which may be the best resource on the net for learning the tremolo technique) at recuerdosdelaalhambra.com

Classical guitar news provides a very basic introduction to the tremolo technique on classical guitar. This is a good article to get you started if you are completely new to the tremolo technique on classical guitar or even if you just need a quick refresher. I disagree with their tip to start by bringing the left hand into the process. I’d rather start with the right hand alone. Like their thought on sympathetic motion: “When all three [fingers] are ready, extend them to their starting position at the same time as the thumb is moving in to perform its pluck.”

Another interesting tip: “Simply play at a slightly slower speed than normal and then instead of playing pami, try other sequences, such as pima, pmia etc. ” I’ll have to give that a try and report back.

The Washington Guitar Society has a couple good tips on their classical guitar tremolo page. Play a scale using the tremolo on each of the scale notes. Also, they provide an example from the School of Tarrega for switching strings while using the tremolo technique.

Stanley Yates offers a good tip for practicing the tremolo for classical guitar. I really don’t think I can summarize it here so go to his page and check it out.

Philip Hii offers one of the better articles on the net about tremolo technique for the classical guitar. Not sure what he means about the “hand bouncing” exercise but I do like his thoughts on practicing the tremolo on muted strings, starting out with a tremolo version of Romanza instead of Recuerdos, and on speed bursts. This article is not for the beginner but more geared for the intermediate classical guitar player.

Delcamp.net has an interesting discussion in its forum on developing the tremolo technique for classical guitar. Read through the several posts (three pages at this point in time) of the users and see what you think.

Some posts of note: “I’m an advocate of slow practice BUT the slow practice has to be done correctly or else it will only create a ceiling above which your tremolo will never rise. I had a student who was doing the slow tremolo practice “with planting” as instructed in Duncan’s book. He had been doing it for weeks with no progress. I had him do it for me. It was easy to see why he wasn’t making progress. He was practicing tremolo in a way that could NEVER be speeded up.”

“‘I can’t remember which online source it was, but it suggested playing it really fast, right off, and add control later.’
I have to admit, that may be the worst advice ive ever heard on any forum, anywhere.”

Douglas Neidt has a great article on the tremolo technique for classical guitar. I really like his thought on setting the metronome to beat on p and m stroke and to accent the m stroke. A must read for anyone trying to develop their tremolo technique.

Secrets to Mastering Recuerdos and the Tremolo Technique is a great guide book that takes you through the process of learning and developing the tremolo technique.

Listen to BWV 1006a now

The Solo Lute Works Of Johan Sebastian Bach By Frank Koonce. For guitar. Guitar. Intermediate Guitar Solo Level piece for the Guitar Events with the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Festivals Bulletin 2008-2009-2010. Classical. Music Book. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company. (WG100) See more info…

Sonata romantica (Homage to F. Schubert): Allegro moderato, Andante epressivo, Allegretto vivo, Allegro non troppo e serioso

Listen to Sonata romantica now

Sonata Romantica: Homage to Schubert Guitar Solo. By Manuel Ponce. Arranged by Andres Segovia. Schott. 16 pages. Published by Schott. (49010686) See more info…

Danza Mora, Vals, Capricho Arabe

Listen to Danza Mora, Capricho Arabe and Vals now

Library Of Guitar Classics 2 Edited by Jerry Willard. Guitar solo book (spiral bound) for guitar. 240 pages. Published by Amsco. (MS.AM943261) See more info…

5 Bagatelles

Listen to 5 Bagatelles now

Classical Guitar Music – Volume I (Version 2.0) By Various. (Guitar). CD Sheet Music (Version 2.0). CD-ROM only. 8 pages. Published by CD Sheet Music. (220552) See more info…

The Troubadours Three – still searching for this piece

Listen to The Troubadours Three now

Review: You won’t want to miss W.Va. Symphony concert
Daily Mail – Charleston – Charleston,WV,USA
Another example on this concert’s program is Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” featuring solo guitarist Ana Vidovic. Vidovic has the meat and …