I've been itching to get back on the road playing solo concerts and chamber music, so if you have any suggestions of venues in your area, please let me know - I'm booking summer and fall 2012 and already looking at some festivals for 2013!
It looks like another busy year ahead:
Concerts coming up at the Dwan Light Sanctuary, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, Adams State College, Tucson, workshops in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
When in town, I'm playing at the Inn of the Anasazi (when I'm not, the legendary flamenco master Chuscales is there!)
Private events and house concerts inquiries have picked up again, and this summer already looks busy - Absolute Entertainment hard at work.
Price, Rubin and Partners are hard at work booking concerts for the upcoming seasons.
A choro recording is in the works with Celina Charlier - I'm in New Mexico, she's in Abu Dhabi, so it will probably happen in New York...
My student Robby Fox is got the top chair in All State Jazz guitar, and is playing this week. Yey! Last week he was in the classical guitar All-State ensemble too!
This is the third time I have a student achieve this, either in NM or CO - and every time they were also good classical players...
A new thread on the Blog - a series of great guitar exercises that are too easy, too silly, too strange and too frustrating for us to remember to do - but that will improve your playing tremendously!
I'll put a few up to start, then add to them regularly.
Some of them might be difficult to explain, so feel free to leave comments for clarification, or just to question my sanity.
Late April, I'll be in Tucson doing a workshop and playing a concert with Michael Lich. Details soon!
Antonio Lopez, a recent Adams State College guitar graduate and a creative songwriter has just released his first CD of original songs "The Romantic & The Realist". Check him out at www.antonioalopez.com
Daniel Torres has just been awarded a Mishler Scholarship at New Mexico Highlands University.
He's a hard working student, a very good player, and a pleasure to work with.
I've changed the selections of the videos on the site - check them out.
I's starting to work with Price Rubin and Partners for concert booking.
Check them out at https://www.pricerubin.com
I've been confirmed as a member of the Performance Advisory Board of the College Music Society.
Now, to work!
I'll be back playing that the beautiful Dwan Light Santuary in March -
just look at this place:
http://www.dwanlightsanctuary.org/
It sounds great too.
I've been invited to be in the jury again for the Beeston Competition: four finalists selected among some of the best young players in the world today. I heard some truly wonderful playing last year, and I expect even more this time. Judging competitions is usually hard work, but as hard as it can be to decide between such good players, judging the finals is such a treat. Plus there's the excitement of the audience!
Three of my students at NMSA auditioned this year - all made it in, including one Pricipal!
Great work everybody!
And now, let's work on the jazz auditions.
I'll be playing at GiG Performance Space December December 2nd.
They always have great shows there - check out their calendar at www.gigsantafe.com
Some of the live tracks you can listen to on this site were recorded there!
I'll be spending a week in early November doing a workshop with Sergio and Odair Assad - as last year, I'm loking forward to this very very much! Also, I'll be taking a masterclass with Rene Izquierdo. I find these opportunities very inspiring, as earlier this year, were the classes with David Russell.
I've spent a wonderful week at the University of Arizona, at the best guitar department in the world, surrounded by amazing players, and taking care of some steps to finish my Doctorate.
I'd like to remind my music major students that they get free coaching during the summer. A few of you have been taking advantage of that, and it will show in the fall...
The season opens today with Faust. Wozzeck opens soon, I'm looking forward to it. It's the first time I'm playing it, and the guitar part is on stage, in the tavern scene.
I'll be playing on the Plaza in Santa Fe, July 13th at noon, for the ninth season of the Bandstand, Santa Fe's free music festival. This is a great project by Outside In, with dozens of shows throughout the sumer. Details in the calendar.
David Russell will be in town early April for fo a solo recital 4/8 and a class 4/9.
Thanks to the Santa Fe Concert Association and St. John's College.
Details about the class in the Calendar (April 9th)
Details in the Calendar, but here's the skinny:
March 30th and 31st, concerts in Santa Fe and Farmington: Tabajara Belo (guitar and mandolin) Michael Lich (guitar and banjo) and me (just guitar...)
April 16th, at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, I'll be playing with Dave Grusin and the ProMusica string orchestra, Tom O'Connor conducting.
April 21st, in Alamosa CO, with flutist Tracy Doyle - plenty of Piazzolla!
May 1st, Las Vegas NM - "Romancero Gitano" with NM Highlands University Madrigal, Andre Garcia-Nuthmann conducting.
Details soon. Late March, in very good company. SHHHHH, it's a secret.
Santa Fe's premier performance space is turning 10, and it looks like I'm playing there April 16th. Details in the calendar as they become clear!