
The Mannes New York Guitar Seminar opened with its annual evening concert at the Americas Society, featuring Artistic Directors Michael Newman and Laura Oltman of the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo and Brasilian classical guitarist João Luiz Rezende performing an evening of South American music.
The seminar, now in its 18th year, offers 4 intensive days of master classes, guest artist forums, evening faculty concerts and a morning open stage for participants, culminating in a solo and ensemble participants’ concert, which this year, featured a Word Premiere of Luiz’ Frutas Do Brasil.
In addition to The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo and João Luiz Rezende, this year’s faculty included UNAM professor Juan Carlos Laguna, New Zealand guitarist Matthew Marshall, guitarist and composer David Leisner, British composer Steve Goss, guitarists Yenne Lee, Harris Becker, Mariano Aguirre, Gabriel Handy, Joseph and Kathleen Mayes and the new Arizona State University assistant professor of guitar, Jiyeon Kim.
A quiet shuffle of nearly 100 audience members filled the classical Salon Simón Bolivar inside The Americas Society’s landmarked, neo-federal style townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. And in the heat of linden-blooming late June, everyone fanned themselves with their concert programs beneath a ceiling festooned with plaster garlands and painted cherubs as the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo plucked a sultry palette of Lo que vendrá by Piazzolla, Raritan Triptych by Paul Moravec, Passatempo by Pixinguinha, Imagens do Nordeste by Celso Machado, Chora coração by Jobim, Chorinho das comadres by Simas and The Last Song by Clarice Assad.
The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo recently celebrated their 40th anniversary season and were featured in Classical Guitar Magazine for their innovative programming and devotion to commissioning new works for the guitar. Michael Newman is co-chair of the guitar department at Mannes and Laura Oltman heads the guitar department at Princeton University.
After intermission, João Luiz joined the duo to perform a guitar-only version of Villa-Lobos’ Veleiro (Sailing Ships) from A Floresta do Amazonas, Gnattali’s sentimental Samba canção from Suite popular brasileira, Luiz’s composition, Djavan’s Portrait and Bellinati’s jazzy Baião de gude.
* * *

Please visit here for more information on The New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes and The Metlife Foundation Music of the Americas Concert Series.