Welcome
Dear Friends,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 9th annual Boston Guitar Fest, this year
dedicated to the theme “American Odyssey” and to the memory of Paco de Lucía.
As always, we aim to celebrate the sacred art of music through the lens of the classical
guitar but to invoke as many cross disciplinary connections as humanly possible.
Our goal is always to combine the most exciting, memorable music making with the
most welcoming atmosphere possible and to take full advantage of the unique
opportunities afforded by the City of Boston.
This year we welcome back some of our favorite artists from past festivals: Oscar
Ghiglia, Joaquin Clerch, Adam Holzman, Marten Stragier and Zaira Meneses. But we
also include exciting new faces: the great viola virtuoso, Kim Kashkashian; jazz pianist
phenom, Donal Fox; flamenco whiz kid, Juanito Pascual; Spanish virtuoso, David
Martínez and Bostonʼs own exceptional Boston Modern Orchestra Project (“BMOP”) led
by its maverick Artistic Director, Gil Rose.
For the first time Boston Guitar Fest will present works for guitar and orchestra including
the Boston premiere of Arturo Marquezʼs Danzon #3 with Zaira Meneses as soloist; the
world premiere of a new guitar concerto by Northeastern Prof. Anthony Paul de Ritis
and the Boston premiere of Robert Beaserʼs Guitar Concerto, both with Eliot Fisk as
soloist.
As usual our competition for performance will run during the festival with the eminent
Prof. Bruce Holzman as President of an impressive international jury of eminent
musicians. Anthony Paul de Ritis heads a parallel jury judging our Competition for
Composition. Robert Bekkers again directs our guitar makers symposium.
Finally, Adam Levin, Will Riley and Devin Ullibarri will direct the Young Guitarists
Workshop, which this year expands to a week long event offering an unparalleled
opportunity for young people and their families to enter and explore the magical
universe of the classical guitar.
We are tremendously excited by this yearʼs offering and hope to welcome friends old
and new to Boston for another life changing, epic event.
Sincerely,
Eliot Fisk
Artistic Director
Boston GuitarFest IX is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía
Photo by Billy Shey “The Greatest”
Eliot Fisk with composer Robert Beaser at the performance of Beaser’s Canti Nocturni in Aspen, 1975:
Welcome from the State Offices:
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Music brings people together and I am so proud we hold this festival here in the Bay State.
—Deval L. Patrick |
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GuitarFest has become a wonderful summer tradition in Boston. Audiences come to learn more about different cultural traditions and to enjoy the extraordinary musical performances.
—Edward M. Kennedy |
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Boston GuitarFest is a perfect example of music’s ability to traverse geographic, cultural and ethnic boundaries and as a confirmed amateur guitarist I know it will also be a lot of fun. I encourage musicians and everyone who appreciates their work to become involved in this important cultural celebration and I thank NEC and Eliot for making Boston GuitarFest a reality.
—John Kerry |
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GuitarFest is a great celebration of music and culture, and there’s no better place for this festival than along Boston’s Avenue of the Arts. This weekend is a terrific opportunity for people to come together, enjoy wonderful performances, and share their love of music.
—Elizabeth Warren |
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I welcome Boston GuitarFest as it continues to showcase the cultural advantages of the city of Boston, and to provide us all with the opportunity to hear wonderful music, played at its best.
—Barney Frank |
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This festival is an opportunity to experience a diverse showcase of musical talent, including the work of many gifted guitarists. I welcome performers and festival attendees to Boston and hope you enjoy your visit.
—Michael E. Capuano |
