Roberto Capocchi - Guitarist
Guitarist Roberto Capocchi has performed to critical acclaim throughout the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Belgium. He often plays and offers workshops at festivals in North and South America, such as the Society of Composers Inc., Santa Fe New Music, Guitar Northwest, Haydn Festival International, Souza Lima Festival, Santa Fe Opera, Taos Chamber Music Group, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival - Music in Our Schools, Serenata of Santa Fe, Peninsula College's Sound of Unity, San Juan College, Seattle University, Millennium Artists, and Violao em Concerto.
He has won top prizes in competitions such as the Sholin Memorial, Stevens Guitar Competition, Young Concert Artists, Villa-lobos Competition, Souza Lima Guitar Competition, Aracatuba Festival, Saint Marcelina Chamber Music Competition, and Mozarteum Competition. He has been a semi-finalist at the GFA (Guitar Foundation of America) Solo Guitar Competition, Portland Guitar Festival, and was the only solo guitarist selected for the 1997 Premio Eldorado de Musica.
In addition to his solo career, Mr. Capocchi performs regularly with violinist Ellen Chavez de Leitner as Duo Guadalupe. They have released a CD titled Duo Guadalupe: Music for Violin and Guitar, featuring Baroque, Classical and Modern music. Roberto is also featured in the 2009 release of a CD of the music of Ron Strauss, playing the suite "Tangos de Santa Fe" with Carol Redman on flute and Pamela Epple on English horn.
He is on the faculty of the College of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe NM, Highlands University, in Las Vegas NM, United World College in Montezuma NM, and at Adams State College in Alamosa CO. He has taught at the University of Arizona, MUSICI, Souza Lima Conservatory, Santa Fe Waldorf High School, Ortiz Middle School through a Grant from the Rebekahs, and Sweeney Elementary though a grant from the Thaw Foundation. His students have won prizes at the Columbus State University Guitar Competition, Souza Lima Competition, Tucson Jazz Society Award, Santa Fe ProMusica Young Concert Artist, and Shaefer Guitar Competition. They also have been awarded scholarships at the Berklee School of Music, North Carolina School for the Arts, University of Arizona Scholarship, Killington Music Festival, New Mexico All State Jazz Band, North Carolina School for the Arts Award.
Mr. Capocchi was born in Brazil, where he received music degrees from the Lins de Vasconcelos Conservatory and Carlos Gomes College. From the University of Arizona, he holds a Master of Music Degree in Music Performance, and a doctorate, (D. M. A. - abd) in Performance and Music Theory. His teachers have included Thomas Patterson, Henrique Pinto and Sandra Costa (guitar instructors) Conrado Paulino, Tom Ervin, and Kiko Moura (Jazz and Brazilian Music) and Ricardo Rizek. He has performemed in master-classes and been coached by such notable artists as Sergio Abreu, David Leisner, Alice Artzt, Orlando Fraga, Paulo Porto Alegre, Luis Claudio Ferreira, Sila Godoy, Alexandre Lagoya, Den-min Yeh, Eduardo Meirinhos, Benjamin Verdery, Oscar Gigia, Mario Ulloa, Margarita Escarpa, and Ivan Rijos.
Favorable reviews often stress Mr. Capocchi's expressiveness, technical fluency, and engaging stage presence. The guitars he uses are a 1988 Sergio Abreu, from Brazil, and a 1996 Gioachino Giussani, from Italy.
Sample Solo Guitar Programs
LATIN-AMERICAN MUSIC
Some of the liveliest, most evocative and heart-wrenching music ever written in Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Argentina and Cuba.
Pequena Suite - Radames Gnatalli
Natalia - Antonio Lauro
Brasileirinho, Lagrima, Dengoso, Sons de Carrilhoes, - Joao Pernambuco
Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios - Augustin Barrios
El Decameron Negro - Leo Brouwer
I - El arpa del guerrero
II - La huida de los amante por el valle de los ecos
III - Ballade de la doncela enamorada
La Catedral - Augustin Barrios
I- Preludio - Sudade
II - Andante Religioso
III - Allegro Solemne
Quatro Estaciones Portenas - Astor Piazzolla
THE ROMANTIC GUITAR
Staples of the classical guitar repertoire chosen for their romantic feel.
Plenty of Spanish flavor, too.
Grand Ouverture - Mauro Giuliani
Fantasia 7 - Fernando Sor
Chaconne - J. S. Bach
Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Francisco Tarrega
Capricho Arabe - F. Tarrega
Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios - Augustin Barrios
Ballade in B Minor - Johannes Brahms
Homage a Tarrega - Joaquin Turina
I - Garrotin
II - Soleares
Zapateado - Regino Sanz de la Maza
Asturias, Cadiz, Sevilla - Isaac Albeniz
XX CENTURY MASTERS
A showcase of the rich variety of XX Century styles. Descriptive, intense, personal, strong and passionate.
El Decameron Negro - Leo Brouwer
Prelude 3, Etudes 11 and 12 - Heitor Villa Lobos
Prelude 4, Etudes 3 and 4 - Heitor Villa Lobos
Appalachian Summer - Mathew Dunne
Five Bagatelles for Guitar - Sir William Walton
Quatro Estaciones Portenas - Astor Piazzolla