Two Young Contest Winners to Play At Weill Recital Hall tomorrow February 2nd

I was fortunate today to be at the MANNES SCHOOL OF MUSIC, where they held a private "for students" presentation of a 20 minute film about the History of The MICHELE PITTALUGA INTERNATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION and on hand were two superb young virtuosos : CECILIO PERERA ( 2011 Michele Pittaluga Winner) and JOHANNES MOLLER(2010 GFA 1st Prize).Both brilliant young men will be in concert at the Weill Recital Hall tomorrow night Thursday February 2nd at 8pm, presented by The D'addario String Company. While having a little computer snafu delay the proceedings, as usual my buddy Michael Newman, with the help of some computer savvy students sent us on our merry stay in Goldmark Hall as we had a chance to taste the excellent Techniques and musicianship of these two extraordinary young men.I suggest you turn on your YOU TUBE channel and feast on the existing videos exposing the exploita of these seasoned artists! You will find more than enough examples of greatness. For their pre concert visit, they both played two pieces and answered questions about warm up procedures.
CECILIO PERERA played the third movement from Leo Brouwers'Sonata with an absolutely monstrous technical facility that knocked us all out! His second piece was "Son de La Negra by Blas Galindo/ transcribed by Julio Cesar Oliva. You can find a performance of both Cecilio and Julio on You Tube. Cecilio also treated us to his warm up exercises that were very interesting.I'll have to pick my brains for a future detailed report as I did not carry my usual 4 pens and notebook. His articulation was really something to behold! Bold and clean~!!By the way Cecilio is from Mexico.
The young Swedish Virtuoso and 2010 GFA FOUNDATION 1st Prize Winner JOHANNES MOLLER, played an original composition that was "Out of this world" lovely exposing an extremely sensitive and powerful technique which was followed by that beautiful tremolo piece,JULIA FLORIDA by the equally fabulous Guitarist/Composer Augustin Barrios Mangore. That tremolo of Johannes was simply a joy to behold how it fluttered like a butterfly and was so elastic! One of the finest tremolos I have ever heard on our great instrument. Even though I am scheduled for a gig before their concert tomorrow night, I will cut my last hour so I can drop off my rig and get to the hall in time to check out these two wonderful kids in action. I tell you that I fall in love with this instrument every time someone steps up to the performance plate and delivers a musical and or technical "home run" like these two young men did! In the audience,the "CREAM OF THE CROP" of Mannes students were on hand to nourish their thoughts. Johannes had his father with him - who is a flautist. I also had a chance to check out a Greg Byers guitar that Johannes had for sale.Nice Guitar. We must also extend a good hug and thanks to the daughter of Michele Pittaluga for giving us such an excellent lecture about the History of the Guitar and Composition Competition started by her Father. The Composer side is about 10 years old while the initial Guitar Competition is 45 years old- W O W ! In these times of short lived and poorly funded Musical Events, this is surely a miracle whcih can only be achieved by always having only the best minds and passions for our beloved Guitar at work! CONGRATULATIONS to the PITTALUGA FAMILY and Artistic director ALIRIO DIAZ!!!! Check out Aliro Diaz on YOU TUBE! WHAT A GREAT ONE!!!!