This is a guest post written by Guitar Hamilton (Hamilton’s official guitar society) secretary, Dean Edwards. The post came about through the coordination of Emma Rush.
Festival Website: www.hamiltonguitarfest.com
Guitar Hamilton: www.guitarhamilton.com
Festival Facebook Group: A great place to meet people and see posted videos!
A three-day celebration of the classical guitar!
The first annual Hamilton International Guitar Festival is an exciting new addition to the city’s cultural dynamic. This event, a new initiative of Guitar Hamilton, will bring together guitar professionals, students and aficionados from throughout North America and beyond. Five concerts from world-renowned artists, workshops, vendors, over one hundred guitar lessons and a luthier showcase of high-end handmade guitars make up what is sure to be Canada’s premier guitar event.
The gala opening concert will be performed by the Katona Twins of Hungary, critically acclaimed by the Daily Telegraph as “ the classical world’s best guitar duo.” This duo performs regularly to sold-out audiences in the thousands and is known for explosive technical fireworks that make the music – from Mozart to flamenco – riveting. The twins give recitals in the major concert venues throughout the world including performances at the Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo; Philharmonie in Cologne. In 2009, as the soloists of the “Night of the Proms” they performed live to half a million people in arenas across Europe. This is a rare Canadian appearance for the duo.
Another highlight of the festival will be the closing concert from Sweden’s Johannes Moller. Moller, who played in Hamilton in 2009 to great acclaim, recently won the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America 2010 competition. Moller performs all over the world and will embark on a fifty-date tour of the United States this fall. He is an audience favourite no matter where he goes, creating an intimate musical connection with his listeners.
Also performing will be Canadian Dale Kavanagh, one of the guitar world’s most gifted interpreters, combining passionate expression with technical virtuosity. Her program will feature many of her own compositions. Kavanagh will be leading her famous “Finger Aerobics” technique classes at the festival. Jeffrey McFadden, a native of Hamilton, will share Saturday’s concert with Kavanagh. McFadden is one of Canada’s best known guitarists, performing regularly throughout North America and Europe. A custom-built Baroque guitar will be featured in his program.
Two afternoon performances feature outstanding up-and-coming Canadian talent. ChromaDuo (Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald) will present a program of contemporary works written for or commissioned by the duo. The Henderson-Kolk Duo are also expanding the guitar repertoire with exciting new transcriptions, including an incredible two-guitar version of Mozart’s Symphony 40.
This line-up of incredible performers, truly world-famous artists, is a real coup for Hamilton’s music scene. The Hamilton International Guitar Festival will take place July 8-10, 2011 at the historic Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, 126 James St. S. Tickets and more information are available at (905) 807 4792 or at www.hamiltonguitarfest.com.
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