St. Louis Classical Guitar ends our 60th Anniversary season with Maestro Manuel Barrueco in the 560 Music Music Center E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall!

The legendary Cuban classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as one of the most important guitarists of our time. His unique artistry has been continually described as that of a superb instrumentalist and a superior and elegant musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts. Hailed as a “major artist with a remarkable musicianship and a word of technique” by the Los Angeles Times and as a “superior musician” by the New York Times, his unique artistry has been continually described as that of a elegant and intelligent musician, possessing a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts.

His career has been dedicated to bringing the guitar to the main musical centers of the world. During three decades of concertizing, he has performed across the United Sates from the New World Symphony in Miami to the Seattle Symphony and from the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to New York’s Lincoln Center. He has appeared with such prestigious orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra and with the Boston Symphony under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, in the American Premiere of Toru Takemitsu’s To the Edge of Dream.

“The guitar is an instrument that is cradled in the arms next to the heart. When Barrueco plays, it speaks to the heart.” - Baltimore Sun

A master-class with Maestro Barrueco will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, April 14th at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

For any ticketing concerns or questions, please contact the 560 Music Center:

Box Office Phone: 314-935-6543
Email: edison@wustl.edu

We are happy to answer questions or concerns at info@stlclassicalguitar.org!

This concert is kindly sponsored by Resume Makeover.

Resume Makeover provides professional resume and copywriting services for businesses and job seekers, from college graduates to C-suite executes and everyone in between. Specific services that Resume Makeover provides includes resume revamps, bios, cover letters, Linkedin content and more! Its founder, Lesley Hunter, is not only passionate about getting people jobs; she is also a patron of the arts and is a classically-trained pianist since age 4. 

The Beijing Guitar Duo has performed around the world in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Palau de Musica, Tchaikovsky Hall and the National Theatre in Beijing. This season will take them to a 12-city concert tour in the United States in February (Washington D.C., Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Knoxville) as well as other performances in Europe and China. The duo regularly collaborates with orchestras, in ensemble with flutist Marina Piccinini, guitarists Grigoryan Brothers and with their mentor Manuel Barrueco touring in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

“It was clear from the evening that both women are incredibly gifted and together, with their ability to fuse technical skill effortlessly with their depth of musicality. They have the star potential to serve as inspiration for new generations of guitarists to come.”  - Classical Guitar Magazine

A master-class with the duo will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, March 24th at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

For any ticketing concerns or questions, please contact the 560 Music Center:

Box Office Phone: 314-935-6543
Email: edison@wustl.edu

We are happy to answer questions or concerns at info@stlclassicalguitar.org!

Conductor and Classical Guitarist Michael Poll has performed across North America, South America, and Europe, including in Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the National Theatre of Panama. His debut guitar recording, 7-String Bach, was called ‘masterful’ by Gramophone magazine, and Wholenote praised his ‘Warm, rich, and full tone’. Since its release by Orchid Classics in 2018, 7-String Bach has been streamed over 1 million times on Spotify and Apple Music, and was featured on the BBC and Classic FM.

‘Masterful!’ - Gramophone

‘Poll’s tone is warm, rich, and full!’ -Wholenote

A master-class with Mr. Poll will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday ,February 18th at 11:00am. Area classical guitar students will perform.

Praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post, prize winning and Billboard top-charting classical guitarist and recording artist Adam Levin has performed on four continents across the globe.  Demonstrating his long-term commitment to music advocacy, Levin is a founding member of The Kithara Project, an organization devoted to promoting the widespread and equitable access to the guitar for youth around the world. Levin is a professor of guitar at the University of Rhode Island and also teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Please join us for a reception after the performance! Light appetizers and drinks will be served free of charge in the Pillsbury Ballroom.

“Adam Levin is an exceptionally gifted guitarist and he played everything in a very transparent and convincing manner... my impression was that the composers were very fortunate to be represented by such an excellent spokesman for their works.” – Dusan Bogdanovic, Classical Guitar Magazine (Seville Guitar Festival)

A master-class with Mr. Levin will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, December 3rd at 10:00am. Area classical guitar students will perform.

Widely acclaimed for the rare beauty of her tone and her enchanting presence on stage, Irina Kulikova has established herself as one of today’s leading guitarists. She received over 30 awards for her artistry, including 1st prizes at the most prestigious international competitions. She tours far afield, with appearances at leading festivals in Europe, North America and Asia and in concert halls such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Musashino Hall in Tokyo and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai.

“The ability to create such an atmosphere with colours…” — Roland Kieft, chief editor Dutch classical radio

A master-class with Ms. Kulikova will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

We are so happy to finally welcome Chinese Classical Guitarist Tengyue (T.Y.) Zhang to St. Louis for the first concert of our 60th Anniversary season at the 560 Music Center! Past season subscribers may remember he missed his performance at the Ethical Society in 2018, so we welcome Mr. Zhang for his long anticipated St. Louis debut.

The highlight of TY Zhang’s international career was the Grand Prize of the 2017 Guitar Foundation of American International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC), known as the most prestigious guitar contest in the world. TY become the first Chinese to be honored with this prize. His win was followed by a tour with over 50 concerts in the U.S., including his Carnegie Hall debut. In 2018, TY released his solo album with Naxos company as the Laureate Series · Guitar Recital. It was praised as: “one of the most talented young players… I’m struck by the extraordinary levels of mastery, comfort and relative ease.” —Classical Guitar Magazine.

“His [Zhang] playing is always tasteful and deeply expressive without any exaggeration. He takes his place as one of the finest of this emerging generation of magnificent artists.”—American Record Guide.

A master-class with Mr. Zhang will take place at the 560 Music Center recital hall on Sunday, September 17th at 1:00pm. Area classical guitar students will perform.

We are thrilled to have grammy award winning classical guitarist David Russell back in St. Louis at the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall in the 560 Music Center!

David Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.

David Russell spends his time touring the world, appearing regularly at prestigious halls in main cities, such as New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto or Rome. Concert-goers everywhere are in awe of his musical genius and inspired by his captivating stage presence. His love of his craft resonates through his flawless and seemingly effortless performance. The attention to detail and provocative lyrical phrasing suggest an innate understanding of what each individual composer was working to achieve, bringing to each piece a sense of adventure.

The New York Times wrote about his performance: "... Mr. Russell made his mastery evident without ever deviating from an approach that places musical values above mere display. It was apparent to the audience throughout the recital that Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension".

Upon hearing play in London, Andrés Segovia wrote: "My congratulations on your musicality and guitaristic technique".

A master class with Maestro Russell will be held on Sunday, April 16th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Rapidly achieving international recognition as one of the leading guitar ensembles of the new generation, Salzburg Guitar Trio engages its audiences with their energetic presence and deeply emotional performances. Their unique repertoire includes newly commissioned works for guitar trio and transcriptions of orchestral and keyboard works by the finest composers.

As recent first prize winners at the Guitar Foundation of America International Ensemble Competition, the trio will tour the US in the 2022-23 season. They have also won first prizes at the Ciutat d’Elx Guitar Festival’ in Spain, the ‘Corelli-Savarez Chamber Music Competition’ in Salzburg, and ‘Valle dei Laghi Guitar Festival‘ in Italy. At ‘Gorizia Guitar Competition’ and ‘Paganini Guitar Festival’, Parma, the ensemble received second and third prizes respectively.

Salzburg Guitar Trio is comprised of Katie Lonson (Canada), Stefan Volpp (Germany) and Andrew Booth (England). The ensemble was originally formed with Izan Rubio (Spain) whilst finalizing their postgraduate solo guitar studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, and was joined by Stefan Volpp in 2020.

A master class with the Salzburg Guitar Trio will be held on Sunday, March 12th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

We welcome Jiji to St. Louis for the first time at the 560 Music Center!

Applauded by the Calgary Herald as “…talented, sensitive…brilliant,” JIJI is an adventurous artist known for her virtuosic performances that feature a diverse selection of music, ranging from traditional and contemporary classical to free improvisation, played on both acoustic and electric guitar. Through her impeccable musicianship, compelling stage presence, and constant premieres of new musical works, JIJI’s intriguing programming solidifies her reputation as a 21st century guitarist. Washington Post selected JIJI as “one of the 21 composers/performers who sound like tomorrow.”.

The Kansas City Star described JIJI as “A graceful and nuanced player,” adding that “…she presented an intimate, captivating performance” in reviewing her recent concerto debut appearance with the Kansas City Symphony.

A master class with Ms. Jiji will be held on Sunday, February 19th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Attention: This concert will no longer present Duo Virtuosi due to visa issues. Guitarist Virginia Luque will now perform with baritone singer Jubilant Sykes, replacing violinist Bojidara Kouzmanova.

Guitarist Virginia Luque, plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style, combining extraordinary technical virtuosity with beautiful tone and musicianship. Ms. Luque has appeared to much acclaim with orchestra and in recital virtually throughout the world. She has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and been awarded first prize at several international competitions including the “Manuel de Falla” Competition, in Granada, Spain. She has also received the Lincoln Center Scholarship and recently made her conducting debut in a recording with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jubilant Sykes, American baritone, has been described as one of the only vocalists of our time who possesses a more exquisitely versatile instrument. Mr. Sykes brings a new dimension to the traditional career of the classically trained vocalist by drawing on gospel and jazz influences to deliver performances in differing musical genre that often leaves audiences and critics searching for new superlatives. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was inspired to proclaim, “Jubilant Sykes’ voice is extraordinary. He isn’t merely an outstanding singer, his voice is art at its highest expression.”

A classical guitar connection: Mr. Sykes collaborated with the legendary American classical guitarist, Christopher Parkening for their release of Jubilation for EMI. This pairing has drawn such critical acclaim as “. . . the kind of concert a writer holds a few choice adjectives in special reserve for . . . two astonishing musicians.”

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation” and “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” (Gramophone).

Jason has performed world premieres from composers Jeff Beal, Avner Dorman, Vivian Fung, Pierre Jalbert, Jonathan Leshnoff, David Ludwig, Mark Mancina, Dan Visconti, and many more. Of his Grammy-winning 2014 solo album Play, HuffPost declared that Play is “part of the revitalized interest in the classical guitar.” 

Vieaux’s regular collaborators include Escher String Quartet, Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, Grammy-nominated harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro, and violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. He holds faculty positions at Curtis Institute of Music and Cleveland Institute of Music.

Join us after the concert for a reception in the Pillsbury Theatre with Mr. Vieaux.

A master class with Mr. Vieaux will be held on Saturday, December 10th at 10:00 AM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our Special Blends Series concert originally scheduled to be Yamandu Costa, will now feature Grisha Goryachev at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Wednesday, November 9th. NEW! Local Flamenco guitarist Lliam Christy will now open the evening before Grisha’s performance.

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Grisha Goryachev is renowned for his extraordinary musical sensitivity and technical virtuosity in both classical and flamenco styles. Grisha is one of very few guitarists in the world who is reviving the tradition of solo flamenco guitar in a concert setting that was practiced by legendary flamenco masters such as Ramón Montoya and Sabicas.

We are excited to welcome Grisha Goryachev back to St. Louis since his in-school residencies and performance at the Sheldon in 2016! We are also looking forward to an opening performance by local Flamenco guitarist Lliam Christy.

Ticket buyers who still wish to attend should retain their tickets for this performance. If you no longer wish to attend this event, refunds may be requested through MetroTix.  Please email online@metrotix.com or call 314-534-1111 with your refund request.

Duo Noire return to St. Louis for a concert at 560 Music Center and a residency in St. Louis area schools!

Duo Noire is a "virtuosic pair” (I Care if You Listen) of the pioneering American classical guitarists, Thomas Flippin and Christopher Mallett. Focusing on audience-friendly contemporary music, their concerts offer “profoundly enjoyable” genre-bending repertoire with “spectacular precision” (St. Louis Post- Dispatch).

Recent and upcoming projects include giving the world premiere of GRAMMY-nominee Nathalie Joachim’s new work for Duo Noire, filming a premiere recording at Severance Hall with members of The Cleveland Orchestra, and premiering new works by virtuoso Yale guitar professor Benjamin Verdery and U.C. Santa Cruz composition professor Karlton Hester.
Thomas and Christopher are graduates of the Yale School of Music. Their name is a combination of “Noir” (Black) and “La Noire” (quarter note).

A master class with Duo Noire will be held on Sunday, October 30th at 1:00PM at the 560 Music Center recital hall. Local area guitar students will perform.

Join us in concert with the Hanser-McClellan Guitar Duo to celebrate the life of Inside Classical Guitar host John Clayton.

Inside Classical Guitar is a one-hour weekly radio show on Classic 107.3 FM featuring the music of the classical guitar. It has run continuously since May 2013, with John Clayton as both show host and producer. Before his passing on July 5 of this year, John had created a list of his favorite guitar pieces, and had received the promise of his friends John McClellan and Kirk Hanser to play some of them at the celebration of his life held later that month. John and Kirk have chosen some of this special music that John Clayton loved to create this tribute concert that he would certainly have loved to hear.

We’ll hear music from Celso Machado, Johann Kaspar Mertz, Dominico Scarlatti, and Paulo Bellinati. As an added bonus, the performance will also feature the world  premiere of Aquarelle Latino in its original configuration for two guitars  and string quartet, a three-movement work written for and dedicated to John McClellan by Argentinian composer Jorge Morel (1931-2021) in 2006. It will include members of the Webster University Orchestra.

NOTE NEW LIVE STREAM OPTION ON TICKET PAGE!

View the concert program here.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO IN-PERSON CONCERT ATTENDEES: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. We cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed during your visit to this performance.

By attending this performance at the Webster Community Music School, you assume all risks relating in any way to contracting COVID-19 whether occurring before, during, or after, and voluntarily waive all claims and potential claims against either the Webster Community Music School or St. Louis Classical Guitar.