MAESTRO PEPE ROMERO AT MSM MON-WED THIS WEEK!!!

I am proud to announce that MAESTRO PEPE ROMERO will be giving 3, 3 hour master classes at the Manhattan School of Music this Monday through Wednesday. Below is all the info. Hope to see you there as I will be coming straight from gigs each day in order to bathe in the Maestros' great teaching! It will be an education par excel lance! Don't miss this rare treat!!

The distinguished Guitarist PEPE ROMERO will be in residence at Manhattan School of Music January 23 – 25. His residency will include master classes that will be given in the School’s Miller Recital Hall – Monday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, January 24 at 3:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m. Mr. Romero’s residency is made possible by The Augustine Foundation. A complete program listing for all three master classes is attached at the end of this press release.

The last time that a series of guitar master classes took place in New York City was in 1987 when Andres Segovia was presented in a series of master classes. In the past, Manhattan School of Music has had an ongoing relationship with the Augustine Foundation presenting a series of guitar concerts showcasing the great guitarists – the series included such guitarists as Julian Bream, the Assad Brothers, David Starobin, Paul O’Dette and David Russell, to name a few.

David Leisner, co-chair of MSM’s Guitar Department says, “Pepe Romero is one of the few living legends of the classical guitar. In addition to his extraordinary guitar playing, he is a master teacher. Pepe offers the kind of technical advice, with shortcuts and tricks of the trade that can only be gleaned from many decades of experience at the top of the field. He is also generous with his immense musical wisdom and profoundly human artistic insights. Here we have the very rare opportunity to witness the maestro work up close, in the intimate Miller Recital Hall, with the very talented guitar students of the Manhattan School of Music, in a rare series of three master classes. We are delighted at the opportunity to present Pepe Romero and are most grateful to the Augustine Foundation for making it possible.”

The master classes with Pepe Romero are open to the public and tickets are not required. For information, contact the MSM Concert Office at 917 493 4428 or visit www.msmnyc.edu. Manhattan School of Music is located on the northwest corner of Broadway and 122nd Street, and is easily accessible by public transportation. Several MTA bus lines stop within two blocks at Broadway and 122nd Street; the subway, No. 1 train, stops at the 116th Street and 125th Street stations.

Pepe Romero is a world-renowned classical and flamenco guitarist. He was born in Málaga, Spain in 1944 and in 1957 with his family, fled Franco’s Spain for the United States. His father, the legendary Celedonio Romero, was his only guitar teacher and his first professional appearance was in a shared concert with his father when he was age seven. He is the second son of “The Royal Family of the Guitar,” The Romeros, and with his father and brothers he helped establish The Romeros quartet as the leading classical guitar ensemble worldwide. As a member of The Romeros, he has performed at the White House for Presidents Carter and Nixon, as well as at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II. His performances have also been heard by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia of Spain, and Queen Beatrice of Holland.

Pepe Romero is particularly known for his outstanding technique and colorful musical interpretations. He is in demand worldwide for his solo recitals and performances with orchestras. Mr. Romero has appeared with orchestras including the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco, as well as with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the London Symphony. Mr. Romero has been a special guest at the festivals of Salzburg, Israel, Schleswig-Holstein, Menuhin, Osaka, Granada, Istanbul, Ravinia, Hollywood Bowl, Blossom, Wolf Trap and Saratoga. His contributions to the field of classical guitar have inspired numerous distinguished composers to compose works especially for him, including Joaquin Rodrigo, Federic Moreno Torroba, Rev. Francisco de Madina, Lorenzo Palomo and Celedonio Romero. He made his first recording at the age of 15, and has since recorded more than 60 solo albums as well as 30 recordings as part of The Romeros.

His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain knighted Pepe Romero and his brothers, Celin and Angel, into the Order of “Isabel la Catolica.” He serves as Adjunct Professor of Classical Guitar at the University of California’s Thornton School of Music, where he was named “Distinguished Artist in Residence” in 2004.

Pepe Romero Master Classes in MSM’s Miller Recital Hall


Monday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonata Pathétique
Adagio cantabile (arr. Francisco Tárrega)
Isaac Sharp (student of Mark Delpriora)

FEDERICO MORENO-TORROBA (1891-1982)
Sonatina in A major
Allegro
William Cassatt (student of David Leisner)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO (1901-1999)
Tres Piezas Españolas
Fandango
Joshua Bavaro (student of David Leisner)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO
Invocación y Danza
Steven Cowan (student of David Leisner)

MAURO GIULIANI (1781 -1829)
Concerto, op. 30
Allegro maestoso
Bradley Colten, Guitar (student of David Starobin)
Katie Leung, Piano


Tuesday, January 24 at 3:00 p.m.

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Etude no. 8 in C# minor
Max Boras (student of Mark Delpriora)

AGUSTÍN BARRIOS (1885-1944)
Julia Florida
Jacqueline Westerduin (student of Mark Delpriora)

REGINO SAINZ DE LA MAZA (1896-1981)
Zapateado
Robert Adler (student of Mark Delpriora)

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Mazurka-Chôro
Rianne Mision (student of David Leisner)

MAURO GIULIANI (1781-1829)
Etudes, op. 51
No. 13
No. 14
Kazuki Ueki (student of David Starobin)

MANUEL MARÍA PONCE (1882-1948)
Suite in A minor
Gavota
James Garber (student of Mark Delpriora)


Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m.

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Etude no. 11
Shunsuke Fuchioka (student of Mark Delpriora)

MANUEL MARÍA PONCE (1882-1948)
Sonata III
Allegro moderato
Dylan Berman (student of Mark Delpriora)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO (1901-1999)
Concierto de Aranjuez
Adagio
Vilian Ivantchev, Guitar (student of David Starobin)
Katie Leung, Piano

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Lute Suite, BWV 996
Praeludio
Gunnlaugur (Gulli) Björnsson (student of David Leisner)

W H E W !!!! What a lineup of music that will be covered. I'm tired just reading the list! I've got my pens and pads ready to learn all I can! Hope you do the same!

Donnie Guitar!