Michael Nicolella
September 19, 2009 - 8PM
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
1600 Santa Lucia Ave. - San Bruno, CA
(Adjacent to San Bruno Park) >>> Click here for directions.
Admission: $10.00

Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America's most innovative classical guitar virtuosos. As a concert artist, Michael has performed throughout North America and Europe as solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra. He has received wide critical acclaim for his performances, recordings and compositions. Classical Guitar magazine recently referred to him as "one of the contemporary guitar's most gifted stars"; while the Washington Post stated, "Since the passing of Andres Segovia the guitar world has needed an advocate... perhaps Michael Nicolella is that person."

A uniquely eclectic and versatile artist, Michael blurs the lines between musical styles and disciplines. He is part of a growing trend in classical music to revitalize the role of the composer/performer. As a concert artist he frequently programs his own works for guitar in solo, chamber and orchestral settings. His latest work, "Ten Years Passed," for electric guitar and orchestra was premiered in Spring 2007 by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. Known for his creative programming, he has introduced electric guitar into his "classical" programs and extended the repertoire and audience of his instrument not only with his own compositions and transcriptions, but also by premiering and commissioning works by some of today's most exciting emerging composers including John Fitz Rogers, Christopher DeLaurenti, Anthony Gatto, Tom Baker, Apostolos Paraskevas and Joshua Kohl.

His most recent recording, "Shard," features his composition for classical guitar and orchestra, "Guitar Concerto," performed with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Anthony Spain, along with music for classical and electric guitar by Reich, Carter, ter Veldhuis, DeLaurenti, Mesler and Kohl. The disc was described in a recent issue of Frets magazine as ³an exciting textbook on how to honor the classical tradition and kick it in the ass at the same time."

http://www.nicolella.com/

http://www.myspace.com/michaelnicolella

http://www.youtube.com/guitaragogo


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Stevan Pesaro & Richard Patterson
October 24, 2009 - 8PM

The International Guitars of Pasero & Patterson is an example of the best type of musical collaboration. Together, with over 50 CDs released and millions of CDs sold worldwide, these multi-talented guitarists perform a dynamic, inspiring and passionate array of concert repertoire. Their newest CD, “Milonga de Amor” was just released in March 2009.

STEVAN PASERO is recognized worldwide as one of the most influential and versatile guitarists of the past two decades. He has released 15 recordings, transcribed excerpts of 30 major symphonic works, is featured on over 100 CDs, produced 500 recordings for other artists and has composed 1000 pieces for solo, duo and various ensembles. Mr. Pasero is noted for his creative arranging, composition and improvisatory skills and is one of a few guitarists to record in several music idioms successfully - bridging classical, jazz and world markets. His music is found in over 50 countries worldwide. Fans and critics agree that Stevan Pasero is one of the music world’s best kept secrets, even though his CDs have sold cumulatively more than 10 million copies around the globe. Mr. Pasero has performed and recorded classical guitar works for years, yet also has a keen interest and passion for jazz, flamenco, Brazilian and tango music.

http://www.stevanpasero.com

RICHARD PATTERSON enjoys an active musical career as a collaborative artist and has performed with his groups in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.  As a student, Mr. Patterson lived in Spain, studying the guitar with maestro Jose Tomas. Returning to the United States, he was signed by the world's largest classical music management, Columbia Artists, for six seasons of national tours as a member of the Ware-Patterson Duo. Under the auspices of David Lieberman Artists he toured internationally with the Russian virtuoso Emmanuel Sheynkman. He is a founding member of the Festival of Four.  He is also an active recording artist and has been a featured performer on more than twenty-five recordings. Mr. Patterson studied composition with Pulitzer Prize winners John Adams and Wayne Peterson and currently is Professor of Guitar at Notre Dame de Namur University. He directed the Guitar Foundation of America Conference in 2008 and is the founding director of the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts in San Francisco.

"Stevan Pasero and Richard Patterson played with technical prowess and skill and exhibited a wonderful acute sense of intonation…dazzling arrangements of Latin works… the concert was simply astonishing!” - The Herald-Argus, Robert Dure


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Grisha Goryachev
March 27 , 2010 - 8PM
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
1600 Santa Lucia Ave. - San Bruno, CA
(Adjacent to San Bruno Park) >>> Click here for directions.
Admission: $10.00

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