First Lutheran Church, 299 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA
8:00pm Concert by Rafael Aguirre
and the BCGS Community Guitar Orchestra
Tickets click here for online sales Festival Pass: $60 general admission; $50 seniors; $10 discount for BCGS and Church members; Special Student price $35 Rafael Aguirre Concert $15-25; individual day events $8-$12. All tickets available online or call (818) 640-7047 (same price either way) or send check to BCGS, P.O. Box 470665, Brookline, MA 02447 with your email to receive confirmation. Checks must be received five days prior to festival. Call (917) 693-5603 or write wallacecomposer@gmail.com for more information or for special group prices.
Rafael Aguirre
Website: www.rafaelaguirre.com/
Rafael Aguirre, born in Malaga in 1984, began his musical studies at the age of seven in Malaga Conservatory. He attended numerous master classes where he met guitarists with worldwide reputation, such as Joaquin Clerch, Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, Pavel Steidl, Roberto Aussel, Costas Cotsiolis, Ricardo Gallen, and Alirio Diaz. When he was 16 years old he made his debut as soloist with the Young Philharmonic of Malaga performing „Concierto de Aranjuez“, and gave concerts in well-known concert halls in Morocco and Spain. He has won first place in many international competitions including International Competition "Julian Arcas" (Almeria, Spain, 2007), 36. International Competition "Fernando Sor" (Rome, Italy, 2007), 41. International Competition "Francisco Tarrega" (Benicassim, Spain, 2007), and many more. "...su gran dominio del isntrumento, sino tambien, de su madurez interpretativa" [...showed his grand dominion over the instruments as well as his mature interpretations.]" Ritmo
Olson/De Cari Duo
Website: www.olsondecariduo.com
The Olson/De Cari Duo, a husband-and-wife ensemble, is dedicated to performing and expanding the repertoire for classical guitar and voice. Their unique and intimate approach to song performance comes from soprano Gioia De Cari’s background as both a film/theater actor and a classical singer, and guitarist John Olson’s sensitive and intelligent approach to both new and traditional repertoire. NYlon Review has described their performance as “superb … served up with style and elegance.”
“Is no one inspired by our present picture of the universe? The value of science remains unsung by singers: you are reduced to hearing not a song or poem, but an evening lecture about it.” — Richard Feynman, American physicist. John Olson and Gioia de Cari are creating music for voice and guitar through their Science/Music Commissioning Project, which celebrates the insights of science and illuminates the human side of science through song. Works by Champlin, Donahue and Wallace with texts by Einstein, Bohr, Curie, Donahue, Teilhard de Chardin, Richard Feynman and Roald Hoffmann, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist at Cornell University who survived the Holocaust as a young boy.
Maarten Stragier
Website: Maarten's Bio
Belgian-born guitarist Maarten Stragier has garnered praise from such luminaries as Oscar Ghiglia and Eliot Fisk for his musical sensitivity, intelligence and unflagging desire for innovation. An ardent advocate of contemporary music, Maarten has brought new works to audiences both in Europe and the US, performing solo or in affiliation with the Ictus ensemble, the Callithumpian consort, the Mimesis ensemble, the KOA Guitar Quartet and the Moriarty Company.
Maarten will play a program of 21st century guitar works. Les Effaceurs, Nick Vines’ 5 movement-long tour de force, was commissioned by Festival 21 with the help of the New England Foundation for the Arts MEET THE COMPOSER grant. The second half of the program will submerge the guitar in a bath of interactive electronics, with Kogarashi, Le Premier Soupir des Fantomes by the up-and-coming French composer Jerome Combier, and a new work by the amazing Caroline Park.
Nathan Kolosko
Website: www.nathankolosko.com
"Guitarist Nathan Kolosko is a promising new presence in the guitar scene. He combines sensitivity and skillful technique with beauty and richness in his tonal palette. An engaging and convincing performer.” -Ricardo Iznaola
“Nathan Kolosko’s playing demonstrates great technical agility, along with superb musical phrasing and insight. His performances are always memorable.” -Castellani-Andriaccio Duo
Praised as having “enormous facility on the guitar, a fluent technique, who plays with total confidence and professional expertise, panache and artful spontaneity,” Australian classical guitarist Scott Borg performs extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. Read more
See previous year's programs at BCGS History and view a retrospective of Festival 21 2010 below.
poster design by Nancy Knowles
Festival 21 April 10, 2010, was a great success! Thanks to all the performers, audience, contributors and funders!! Supported by the Augustine Foundation, Meet the Composer NE, and the D'Addario Music Foundation as well as the Longy School and Hall, Concord Community Music School; featured performers were: Gyan Riley, ChromaDuo, Jose Lezcano Trio, Andrew McKenna Lee and the BCGS Community Guitar Orchestra under the direction of Scott Borg.
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