ROCHESTER, NY – An exciting program showcasing the classical guitar will usher in Summer Session 2000 at the Eastman School of Music. The Eastman Summer Guitarfest – a weeklong festival that will bring some of the world’s best professional classical guitarists and most advanced students to Rochester – returns June 22-27 for its second year, after its successful debut in 1999.
Twenty-five collegiate and advanced high school students from around the United States and several other countries (including Taiwan, Brazil, and Australia) will come to Eastman for the festival. Artistic director Nicholas Goluses, professor of guitar at Eastman and founder of the School’s guitar department, has again assembled a guest faculty of internationally acclaimed guitarists to work in small groups with students, conduct daily master classes, and perform in recital. "The faculty is awesome," he said. In addition to Goluses, it includes:
• Raphaëlla Smits, the first woman to win the prestigious Francisco Tarrega Guitar Competition, who performs frequently around the world and has 11 albums to her credit.
• Antigoni Goni, head of the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division guitar department, who recently was appointed an associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London and has an impressive list of guitar competition first prizes and awards.
• Stephen Robinson, professor of guitar at Stetson University, who tours extensively as recitalist and chamber musician, gives frequent master classes, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Guitar Foundation of America.
• The Meyer/Thachuk Duo, featuring collegiate educators (and Eastman graduates) Ken Meyer and Steve Thachuk, who have performed together the past four seasons as the Great Lakes Guitar Duo.
A major highlight of the festival is a series of concerts featuring the artist faculty. The concerts, listed below, will be in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs St.) and are free and open to the public:
• Thursday, June 22, 7:30 p.m. Nicholas Goluses with Bonita Boyd, flute
• Friday, June 23, 4:30 p.m. Jonathan Paget, winner of the Darwin International Guitar Competition and current doctoral student at Eastman
• Saturday, June 24, 7:30 p.m. Raphaëlla Smits (first half); Stephen Robinson (second half)
• Sunday, June 25, 8:00 p.m. Meyer/Thachuk Duo (first half); Antigoni Goni (second half)
The festival – which also features workshops on jazz for classical guitarists by the renowned Gene Bertoncini, injury prevention for performing artists, and Baroque dancing – concludes with a free concert by the festival participants in Kilbourn Hall at 2 p.m., Tuesday, June 27.
Currently, there are only about half a dozen classical guitar festivals throughout the United States each year according to Goluses, an internationally acclaimed performer, pedagogue, and recording artist. "Rochester is becoming a hotbed for guitar in the Northeast," he said. "Guitarfest will bring some extraordinary players here."
Other Summer Session 2000 highlights
In addition to Guitarfest, the Eastman School offers more than 75 music courses, institutes, and programs for students and adults during its annual six-week Summer Session, which this year runs from June 26-August 4. Some of the other highlights include:
• "Chamber Music Discovery" with the Ying Quartet (June 25-July 1)
• High School Jazz Studies program (June 25-July 8)
• "The Practical Harpist" workshop (June 26-30)
• Music Horizons program for high school students (July 1-22)
• Eastman Bass Day (July 1)
• Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp (July 9-15)
• The Eastman Summer Piano Festival, including the Young Artist International Piano Competition (July 14-23)
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Note to editors: Detailed bios of Guitarfest faculty are available. Nicholas Goluses is available for interviews. For more details or a complete schedule of other summer programs at Eastman, please call.