GEORGE NEWS - Spanish guitar music lovers can look forward to enjoying a performance by the leading guitarists James Grace and Morgan Szymanski.
Their concert titled Guitar Legends is hosted by the George Music Society at 19:30 on Thursday 15 March at the Oakhurst Insurance George Arts Theatre.
James Grace
Grace has won the Kanna award for best male artist at the 2010 Absa KKNK, and more recently the KykNET Fiësta.
He is one of one South Africa's leading concert artists. In recent years he has appeared with the Cape Philharmonic, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic, the Johannesburg Festival, the Johannesburg Philharmonic, the Gauteng Philharmonic and the Free State Symphony, performing concerti by Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos, Tirao, Stephenson, Giuliani and Vivaldi.
As a regular performer at the major arts festivals and concert series, Grace's schedule frequently takes him throughout Southern Africa, Europe and the United Arab Emirates.
Grace was the soloist in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Pieter Daniel, at Kirstenbosch's summer concert series, and subsequently joined forces with Jonathan Crossley to give the South African premiere of Rodrigo's Concierto Madrigal for two guitars with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Alessandro Crudele.
Morgan Szymanski
Morgan Szymanski plays a guitar built by the Chinese master guitar luthier Yulong Guo.
He is an alumnus of Live Music Now, the scheme started by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to reach audiences that would otherwise have no access to live music.
Szymanski is much in demand as a teacher and has given masterclasses at top conservatoires in the UK, including the Royal College of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music (Cardiff) and Trinity College of Music, as well as conservatoires in China, Bermuda and Mexico.
In 2013 he was appointed resident artist at the Beaminster Festival in Dorset, of which Sir Neville Marriner is patron.
Numerous composers have dedicated works to Szymanski, including Alec Roth, Stephen McNeff, Simon Rowland-Jones, Simone Iannarelli, Paul Coles and Julio César Oliva.
Tickets are R140 for non-members and can be booked online at www.georgeartstheatre.co.za or at the theatre's office in York Street, George.
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