OCTOBER 2010
Our October featured presenter was
ASHWIN KRISHNA, 2009 Winner Sierra Nevada Classical Guitar Youth Competition and 2nd Place Winner in the 2010 GFA Youth Competition. 34 attended and awarded hm an encore before peppering him with questions on how he developed his talent.
Sacramento Guitar Society Music at Noon Concert at Westminster Prebyterian Church, Sacramento
Westminster Music at Noon Concert September 1st, 2010
"The performances were great. I truly enjoyed the concert. You and all the performers demonstrated the beauty of the classical guitar as a solo instrument and its versatility as an accompaniment to the voice and flute."
- Ed Trujillo, Past President
*** Program - Click selections for videos ***
Matthew Grasso, Elizabeth Busch, Matt Foley
Transcriptions by Matthew Grasso
Arranged for two guitars by Sergio Assad
Harold Sexton and Gabriel Becker
Lydia Noland-Valdez and Gabriel Becker
Daniel Roest & Francesca Anderson
Sean O’Connor
Greg Williams
George England and Gabriel Becker
Anatoliy Yevsyukov
Brandon Yip
Gabriel Becker and Lydia Noland-Valdez perform in the Sacramento Guitar Society's Music at Noon concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, Sept. 1, 2010. 
Video
Video
Grasso, Busch, Foley
Anderson, Roest
Sean O'Connor
Becker, England
Greg Williams
Brandon Yip
Anatoliy Yevsyukov
Photos by Harold Sexton
9/7/10: Breaking News! We are now a 501(c)(3) charity!!!!
Thanks to the Board of Directors
The September meeting 9/19 featured performances by Warren Haskell showcasing guitars from the Goyette Guitar Center in Paradise, CA. Owner Richard Goyette introduced Warren, an excellent player who headed the guitar department at Chico State University for 12 years. Search the Goyette Guitar Center website for details on each of the guitars carried. At the break the audience was invited to come up and try the guitars and have refreshments. A number of Sacramento Guitar Society Guitar Sampler CDs were sold and memberships signed up.
9/1/10: Westminster Prebyterian Church
"Music at Noon" concert a big success.
9/1/10: The Sacramento Guitar Society was invited to produce a concert for the venerable Music at Noon concert series at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento on September 1st. 176 audience members heard 11 guitarists, a vocalist and flutist perform a 75-minute program, the 385th in the series. Upon completion, SGS was invited to return annually for the next several years. Westminster Music Director and M.A.N. Concerts producer Brad Slocum termed it "another superb and varied concert that gave much positive energy to many artists and listeners." The Society sold
23 CDs and collected donations towards its programs. Artists contributing were:
Daniel Roest, Matthew Grasso, Elizabeth Busch, Matt Foley, Harold Sexton, Gabriel Becker, Lydia Noland-Valdez, Francesca Anderson, Greg Williams, Anatoliy Yevsyukov and Brandon Yip.
The program, some snapshots and video links are posted
immmediately below.
He has performed in numerous recitals, talent shows and master classes during the past eight years and has recently started competing. Most recently (June 2010) Ashwin was placed 2nd in the prestigious International Youth Competition for junior division held by Guitar Foundation of America (GFA). In May 2010, he won the Carmel Classic Guitar contest in the open category. Prior to this he has won, a Bronze medal in the US Open Music Competitions (Feb 2010) in the open instrumental category, the Sierra Nevada Guitar Society’s youth (8-14) 2009 guitar competition (1st place) and the Olympiad of the Arts 2009 competition (1st place) held at Mission College, Santa Clara. In addition, Ashwin has participated in several master classes by world renowned guitarists - Xufei Yang, David Tanenbaum, Mark Teicholz, Alieksey Vianna, Thibault Cauvin, Michael Nicollela, and Gabriel Bianco. His other interests include playing saxophone, track, soccer and scouting. He is currently a 7th grader at Egan Junior High school in Los Altos.
Friends Eliot Fisk and guitar professor Richard Savino go back decades. Richard had the great artist out to CSUS 9/30/10 for a "Concert & Conversation"
Near Left: Some CSUS guitar majors join the shot after Eliot Fisk's "Concert & Conversation." Both the students and the public were invited to ask questions - Savino moderated.
Ashwin Krishna, age 12, has been playing guitar since he was four years old. What started as strumming with dad soon became a passion. Ashwin has been playing guitar at the Silicon Valley Classical Guitar School under the tutelage of Scott Gossage and recently started at San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Scott Cmiel.
9/30/10: Eliot Fisk visits Sacramento
Eliot Fisk performed a free concert including two dances by Enrique Granados - Andalusa and Danza Triste; Six Harpsichord Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, The Red Violin Caprices by John Corigliano and three works by Agustín Barrios- Danza, Cueca and Diana Guarani.
Following the utterly heroic output of artistic and technical brilliance, Fisk answered questions from the audience about his practice habits, his thoughts on the state of guitar education and music education in general and what young artists need to do to inspire their communities.
The next monthly Meeting of the Sacramento guitar Society will be Sunday, Novenber 21st, 2010 at 3pm, at Christ Community Church in Carmichael.
Micah Dunn from Reno and Jon Smart from South Lake Tahoe will perform, and Robert Bekkers from Holland will appear before his Piano Guitar Duo evening house concert at 6:30, also in Carmichael. See Calendar for details
Ashwin's October Program:
Renaissance
Packington’s Pound English Trad., from Wm. Barley’s New Book of Tablature, 1596
Baroque
Bourrée from the 1st Lute SuiteJ.S. Bach (1685-1750)
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)Gavottes I & II, BWV1012J.S. Bach
J.S. BachCanariosGaspar Sanz (1640-1710)
Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710)Romantic
Sevilla from Suite española, Op. 47Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)Twentieth Century
Prelude No. 1 from Cinq Preludes (1940)Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)SakuraTheme and VariationsYoquijiro Yokoh (b. 1925)
Theme and VariationsYoquijiro Yokoh (b. 1925)SunburstAndrew York (b. 1958)
Andrew York (b. 1958)Encore
Musical PastimeJohann Valentin Rathberger (1682-1750)
Johann Valentin Rathberger (1682-1750)Ashwin Krishna was presented with a framed commendation from the Society.
NOVEMBER 2010
The Sacramento Guitar Society has a busy month with Robert Bekkers, George England and Gabe Becker in for snowbound Jonathan Smart and Micah Dunn at our our November meeting on the 21st, followed that evening by a house concert nearby in Carmichael with the Dutch Piano Guitar Duo of Robert Bekkers and Anne Ku. See our Calendar Page for photos and details.
NOVEMBER 2010
Also in the news, The Sacramento Guitar Society will host a conference of guitar societies in April with an evening concert of Gohar Vardanyan (pictured) and Jesse McCann. The West Coast Guitar Societies Roundtable will be led by Dr. Matthew Hinsley, Executive Director of the Austin Classical Guitar Society, which hosted the 2010 Guitar Foundation of America's International Convention and Competition. Details are on our registration page. Mark your calendar for April 16th!
DECEMBER 2010
THE WINTER BLIZZARD the weekend of our November meeting prevented Micah Dunn and Jonathan Smart from getting to us from Reno and Lake Tahoe, so we asked them to return and be part of our Holiday Party program. JOIN US on the 19th at 3pm for their program plus holiday ensemble playing and holiday refreshments. As always, our Guitar Sampler CD Volume 1 will be on sale, and they may perfect Christmas gifts.
Substituting November 21st for Dunn and Smart were Gabe Becker and George England, an excellent duo from our area, and Robert Bekkers and Anne Ku from The Netherlands, on tour. Robert played solos after the break, including the enormous Bach Chaconne, and he and Anne took many questions about their work. After dinner the pair played a piano-guitar house concert nearby at the home of Mary Wesley.
SGS presented Bekkers Piano Guitar Duo 11/21
MICAH DUNN began playing classical guitar at the age of 5. He has studied privately and performed in masterclasses with Sharon Isbin, Andrew York, Scott Tenant, David Tannebaum, Marc Teicholz, Jeremy Jouve, Sharon Isbin, Lily Afshar, and Richard Savino. Micah received both his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Music Performance from UNR. Micah was featured as the guest soloist with the Ruby Mountain Symphony in November of 2004, and has performed with the Foundation Orchestra. Currently, Micah has been arranging all six of the Bach Cello Suites for guitar in the original cello tuning.
JONATHAN SMART earned his Master’s Degree in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and has taught at Lake Tahoe Community College for nine years. He maintains a busy solo performing schedule around Lake Tahoe and in duet with Micah Dunn. Smart is in his ninth year of teaching at Lake Tahoe Community College, where he has had hundreds of students. The classes cover a variety of musical styles, and students range from high-school age to retirees.
A funny think happened on the way to the show for Micah Dunn and Jonathan Smart - twice! - as their planned performances were thwarted by Sierra blizzards! Jon and Micah, a duo from South Lake Tahoe and Reno, were slated for November 21st and a highway-closing snowstorm prevented it. We rescheduled for December 19th and guess what? It happened again! Don't worry - we'll get 'em!
NEWS
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JANUARY 2012
The year kicks off with Ross Thompson playing a program of Bach, de Falla, Purcell and Thompson on the 15th at CSUS Capistrano Hall. The Sacramento Guitar Orchestra starts the new year with four pieces by Handel. The first UC Davis Guitar happens on the 19th through the 21st.
DECEMBER 2011
Another Community Concert Series concert took place Deceember 9th, this one presenting Nevada City composer and concert guitarist Jamey Bellizzi in Folsom at 48 Natoma, the City's Senior and Public Arts Center. This was followed on the 18th by our last event of the year, the holiday party and concert featuring the Sacramento Guitar Orchestra. An overflow audience turns out for the debut of the Sacramento Guitar Orchestra led by Greg Williams thanks to a story in the BEE by Edward Ortiz, Sac Bee: Sacramento Guitar Orchestra in Concert at Sac State Today, 12/18/11
NOVEMBER 2011
We had another big success at Three Stages with Baltimore -based guitarist Benjamin Beirs, who also visited Folsom High School and Vista del Lago High School. At Three Stages he played Regondi, Dyens (with whom he studied in Paris for a semester), Ponce and Pasieczny plus an encore of Villa-Lobos after a standing ovation. A high point of the evening was the awarding of an Orpheus Valley Rosa Morena classical - flamenco hybrid guitar with gig bag, a $650 value, in a fun and exciting rafflle after Intermission. Steve Lin from the Bay Area performed on the 20th at our new meeting location, Capistrano Hall at CSUS, The Sacramento Guitar Orchestra had its second rehearsal.
OCTOBER 2011
We had a great success with our Three Stages debut October 1st! Jon Mendle was superb onstage and took advantage of the magnificent acoustics of the Scott-Skillman Recital Hall. A sold-out room rewarded him with two standing ovations and encores. Immediately following Intermission, one lucky audience member was presenterd with a new Orpheus Valley R65CW cutaway acoustic electric model with gig bag, and $845 value. Then in our meeting on the 17th at Christ Community Church, Trio Seven charmed us on 21 strings with the music of Bach, Dvorak, Miller, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Myers, Bizet and Conti. Plus - the SACRAMENTO GUITAR ORCHESTRA had its fiirst rehearsal, just before the meeting. This is a new venture for SGS, and we think it serves an important need in the community, plus it provides a fun creative outlet for people to play in a group with multiple players on each ensemble part. A Holiday concert is palnned for the December meeting. On the 10th we presented Giacomo Fiore at Zia's in Placerville in a Community Concert Series concert.
SEPTEMBER 2011
Phùng Tuâń Vũ was spectacular at our September meeting. He played with great virtuosity and expressiveness, a presented a solid hour of the music of Sor, Dyens, Schubert, Strauss II, Paganini, Itsuwa, Sabicas and his own originals. Also in September, we forged a relationship with music importer and manufacturer Kremona Trade Inc., makers of fine European hand-crafted instruments. They pledged to donate a fine new classical guitar to our first Three Stages concert with Jon Mendle.
AUGUST 2011
We had a LOT going on in August! Our amazing six-concert series at THREE STAGES in Folsom went on sale at the box office window on the 1st [with 15% off subscriptions for SGS members!], We hosted our open mic on the 5th, Greg Williams and Matthew Grasso performed in Placerville on the 12th, Gordan Rowland and Doug Wendt performed on the 21st, and Daniel Roest and Ian Ethan performed a Community Concert Series concert.on the 26th.
JULY 2011
SGS took a break from the monthly meetings to accomodate the Sierra Nevada Classical Guitar Festival and Competition at Squaw Valley. Daniel Rost spoke about SGS and performed for the South Sacramento Rotary Club with SGS Board Member Ed Trujillo along. More Rotary appearances are planned. Three Stages at Folsom Lake College mailed 150,000 brochures with SGS concerts featured in the front of the PARTNERS pages.
JUNE 2011
SGS wraps up the year with an educational workshop with El Dorado Hills-based luthier Waylin Carpenter at the Carmichael Branch of the Sacramento Public Library. The Sacramento Bee featured Carpenter in an article in 2009. Several California guitarists have purchased a Carpenter instrument built to their specifications, such as Matt Grasso, Ray Zhou and Matt Foley.
MAY 2011
May was a watershed month for SGS. After hosting Eugene, Oregon-based guitarist David Rogers, who spent 18 years in Ashland as the guitarist for the Ahland Shakepeare festival, in both a small house concert and as the fetured performer at our monthly meeting, we debuted at Three Stages at Folsom Lake College. Muriel Anderson, Raughi Ebert of Tierra Negra, Ariane Cap and Raul Rodriguez performed in two sold out shows. It was a great beginning to what will be several more concerts there in the 2011-2012 concert season: Jon Mendle, Benjamin Beirs, Arina Burcéva, San Francisco Guitar Quartet, Zaira Meneses and William Kanengiser! Here is a review from the Bee: Anderson, Ebert shine at Three Stages
APRIL 2011
April was a huge month for us! We finally reached the West Coast Guitar Societies Roundtable, the Gohar Vardanyan-Jesse McCann evening concert and the Goar Vardanyan Sunday workshop and bookend concerts of the Pacific Guitar Ensemble and the Duo Klavitarre - and we survived. Pictures and reviews of the conference are available here - please take a look. Adding to the positive reactions were strong financial support from sponsors and word of a commitment from Wells Fargo to be presented next month at Muriel Anderson's Saturday May 21st concert at Three Stages. To see that and order tickets, or to order seats for her Sunday 22nd afternoon concert, click Three Stages and search MURIEL ANDERSON to be taken right to it.
MARCH 2011
Wu Love performed for us March 22nd in Carmichael - the 15-year-old from Davis put on a fine recital of Bach, Giuliani, Albeniz, Turina and Barrios before singing through an encore. Her teacher Scott Cmiel was in attendance and praised SGS for showcasing young talent. Our 12-year-old October featured artist, Ashwin Krishna, also studies with him at the San Francisco Conservatory.
JANUARY -FEBRUARY 2011
Matthew Grasso put on a tremendous recital January 16th, and we had over 60 in attendance. It seems we're on a roll. Steve worked hard throughout taking in new memberships and CD sales, Harold, Greg and Sean were there and Gabe helped us again with getting us the space. Richard Goyette got it all on video. Former SGS president Ed Trujillo was there and got applauded. Luthiers Waylin Carpenter and Corey Reynolds had their guitar played. Veteran classical guitar instructor Nan Shaw came again from Auburn and Jim and Gloria Hildinger came down from South Lake Tahoe. Herb Tanimoto made it from Yuba City. There was a large contingent of teenagers in the room. Many CDs were sold. I'm leaving things and people out, but there was a very happy feeling all around as we left, and most of the audience took flyers to post.
Giacomo Fiore took the February 20th program with works by Lou Harrison, Toru Takemitsu, Peter Maxwell Davies and Michael Tippett, and another 60 + audience at Christ Community Church. The concert was a tuneup before recording the music, and Giacomo showed why he is such a popular performing artist, both with sensative playing and thoughtful introductions - a very engaging artist.
JANUARY 2011
Halfway through the 2010-2011 Season, we are in the best financial shape yet and have a full half year ahead with artists Matthew Grasso, Mark Hanson, Giacomo Fiore, Wu Love, Duo Kavitarre, Jesse McCann, Gohar Vardanyan, Dr. Matthew Hinsley, David Rogers, Muriel Anderson, Raughi Ebert of Tierra Negra and the Los Angeles Guitar Duo. Links to artist websites are on our Calendar.
SAVE THE 2011 DATES: 1/16, 2/12, 2/20, 3/20, 4/16-17, 5/14-15, 5/21&22, 6/18.
An overflow audience turns out for the debut of the Sacramento Guitar Orchestra led by Greg Williams thanks to a story in the BEE by Edward Ortiz, Sac Bee: Sacramento Guitar Orchestra in Concert at Sac State Today, 12/18/11
