Performances by...
- Augustine Foundation
- UTSA President Ricardo Romo
- Dr. Lester Libow
- Gambrinus Company
Featured Artists
Recognized as one of America's premier instrumental ensembles, the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is one of the most charismatic chamber music groups performing today, bringing a new energy to the concert stage with their eclectic programs and dynamic musical interplay. The LAGQ has set new standards for the guitar quartet medium through their critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks and interpretations of innovative contemporary works, drawing from a wide range of musical styles.
Sérgio and Odair Assad
Widely recognized as the leading guitar duo in the concert world today, Brazilian-born brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad have set the benchmark for all other guitar duos by creating a new standard of guitar innovation, ingenuity and expression. Their exceptional artistry and uncanny ensemble playing come from both a family rich in Brazilian musical tradition and from studies with the best guitarists in South America. In addition to setting new performance standards, the Assads have played a major role in creating and introducing new music for two guitars. Their virtuosity has inspired a wide range of composers to write for them: Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley, Radamés Gnattali, Marlos Nobre, Nikita Koshkin, Roland Dyens, Jorge Morel, Edino Krieger and Francisco Mignone. Now Sérgio Assad is adding to their repertory by composing music for the duo and for various musical partners both with Symphony Orchestra and in recitals. They have worked extensively with such renowned artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Fernando Suarez Paz, Paquito D'Rivera, Gidon Kremer and Dawn Upshaw.
www.opus3artists.com/artists/sérgio-and-odair-assad
Denis Azabagic
A prize winner in 24 international competitions, including an astounding 11 first prizes, Bosian born Denis Azabagic is one of the most compelling classical guitar artists on the international concert circuit. He has thrilled both audiences and critics with his virtuosity and deeply musical interpretation of a wide variety of repertoire. "Azabagic's vivid, imaginative account, gathered up every surge and whisper of the musical narrative, giving fresh impact to an old story,... I still cannot quite believe that such flawless execution is possible on the guitar. But I was there, and I heard it-. Amazing." Soundboard Magazine
Born in Managua, Nicaragua, Isaac Bustos began playing popular Latin-American music on the guitar by ear at age 11.. An extensive performance career has taken Bustos to Canada, Central America, Europe and all over the US. He has gained critical acclaim and is quickly becoming recognized as one of the top young guitarists of his generation, performing at several top festivals and with major orchestras. He has won many top prizes in international competitions, including first prizes in Miami, Portland, Valencia (Spain) and third prize at the first Southwest Guitar Festival International Competition.
In addition, Bustos has performed in several premieres of new music for guitar and has participated in Masterclasses of international world-renowned performing artists such as Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, Pepe Romero, and others. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from UT Austin.
Matthew Dunne, guitarist and composer, has performed and taught throughout the United States and Mexico in both the classical and jazz genres. The San Antonio Express News has called his playing "beautiful...elegant, well crafted and sophisticated" He received the DMA degree in guitar performance, jazz emphasis, from The University of Texas at Austin, the first guitarist to receive this degree, and the MM degree from Florida State University. Since 1992, he has been on the faculty of the University of Texas at San Antonio, and has also taught at the North Carolina School of the Arts and Marshall University. As a composer, his works have been recorded by the LAGQ on three consecutive Telarc releases, by William Kanengiser on his CD "Classical Cool Jazz", and by Jerome Ducharme on his Naxos CD "Guitar Recital". He composed the required piece for the Guitar Foundation of America 2005 Competition, and has composed music for the San Antonio chamber series "Jazz Meets Classical" for several years. Dr. Dunne has directed the Southwest Guitar Festival since 1995.
Michael Gast joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 1990 and was appointed principal horn during 2004-05. He has appeared as soloist in concertos and other major works by Bach, Britten, Mozart, Schumann and Strauss. Gast has served as principal horn in the orchestras of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera and Festival L'Aquila Opera, among others, and as guest principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his solo roles with the Minnesota Orchestra, he has performed solos with the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Miami Chamber Orchestra, Sunriver Music Festival, Winters Chamber Orchestra, Musical Offerings (San Antonio) and Texas Bach Choir, and at International Horn Society Workshops. In August 2007 he was a soloist in Schumann's Concertstück at the Sunriver Music Festival with the festival's resident orchestra.
Bruce Saunders is an award-winning guitarist, composer, author and educator. After receiving his Masters degree in jazz/classical guitar from the University of North Texas in 1986 he moved to New York city and began his musical career in earnest and has since recorded, performed, and toured with some of the worlds best jazz musicians, including Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Bill Stewart, Peter Erskine, and many others. He has performed at many renowned New York jazz venues including Birdland, The Blue Note, Smalls, Fat Cat, The Jazz Standard, The Knitting Factory, Barbes, Detour, Smoke, Tonic and many others. He has been a faculty member of the Berklee College of Music since 1992. He has also taught at New York University, The New School, and conducted many clinics and concerts in the U.S. and abroad. He has four CDs as a leader and has played on approximately 40 other recordings. His newest recording is entitled 8 x 5 and was released on the Mel Bay Records label in August of 2006. He is the author of five guitar method books published by Mel Bay: Jazz Pentatonics, Modern Blues, The Diminished Workbook, and Melodic Invention.