Bryan Johanson has released a new recording of original works
entitled I Dreamed About
You Last Night. The CD is available from the Rosewood Guitar.
Here's what Bryan has to say about the music:
"My primary goal in this recording was to come to terms with my
various musical lives.
When I first began playing the guitar I was attracted to the more
improvised forms found in American blues, jazz and rock. I played the
electric
guitar and did bandstand work. Somewhere along the line I got bitten
by the classical
guitar bug and switched my interests to composition and mastering the
standard solo guitar
repertoire. More recently I began to be curious how I could combine my
improvisitory past with my
disciplined compositional present; my electric past with my
acoustic present.
" This recording is the blended result of improvised
and scripted music.
Common Ground is a set of continuous variations (ciaccona) over a
bass pattern that was quite common in Italian compositions from the
baroque period.
Revisiting this pattern was a way of looking for some common musical
ground that
might yield fresh results for both the composer and improvisor in me.
"I Dreamed About You Last Night was improvised into existence over
the period of a few hours. It is based on a very small trick that most folk guitarists
know well. That little trick was the pathway for me to this piece. As an
adolescent I was quite drawn to the music of Paul Simon,
particularly his early work with Art Garfunkel. Boppin' is my little
homage to both that
music and that time period in my life.
"Still Life in Wood and Wire is the only piece on this recording
where I use a steel string guitar. My friend and luthier colleague
Jeff Elliott, whose
marvelous instrument I play, loaned me one of his steel string guitars so I
could truly be playing on wire strings."
Return to top
Michael Partington, praised by Classical Guitar Magazine for his
"lyricism, intensity and clear technical command," will join the
University of Washington School of Music faculty in September 2008.
"We are very pleased to welcome Michael to our faculty," said School
of
Music director Robin McCabe. "One of our own graduates, he has forged a
performing career of national and international distinction, and he is
a dedicated teacher as well."
Partington began playing guitar at age six while growing up in
Wales,
gave his first public performance a year later, and won his first
competition at age nine. He received a performance degree from the
University of Washington, where he was a Brechemin scholar and
graduated magna cum laude.
Partington has trained with many of the world's greatest guitarists,
including Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, Eduardo Fernandez, Manuel
Barrueco, and David Russell, who commented on his "exquisite good taste
and fluid perfection."
The award-winning British guitarist has performed internationally as
a
soloist and with ensembles to unanimous critical praise. He has
appeared throughout the U.S.A., U.K., Russia, and Scandinavia in solo
recital, ensemble, and with orchestra. Partington has performed live on
radio stations throughout the U.S. and U.K., including BBC Radio 3's In
Tune, BBC Wales, and St. Paul Sunday on National Public Radio, and on
cable television in California, Montana, and Washington.
Partington has also performed with Orchestra Seattle, Seattle Chamber
Players, Seattle Creative Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony, Rainier
Symphony, Portland State University Orchestra, Seattle Choral Company,
the Seattle Symphony Chorale, and flutist Paul Taub in the duo
Dinamici.
An advocate of new music, he has commissioned and premiered works by
Stephen Goss, Bryan Johanson, Toshio Hosokawa, Angelo Gilardino, Tom
Baker, Kevin Callahan and others.
Partington is a frequent performer and teacher at festivals, including
the Guitar Foundation of America Festival, Llantilio Crossenny
Festival, Portland Guitar Festival, Northwest Guitar Festival,
Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Cascadia Festival, and Chelan Bach
Fest.
He has released five solo CDs for Rosewood Recording and can also be
heard on the Cadenza Music and Present Sounds labels.
Return to top
Mr. Holzman's recordings for the Naxos label have been critically
acclaimed. The first two are discs of the music of Fernando Sor and
have been called 'irresistable' by Gramophone Magazine. Vol. I and II
of the music of Manuel Ponce are also now available. Of the Sonata for
Guitar and Harpsichord on the Ponce Volume II, Classical Guitar
Magazine says "its a fine and substantial work and here it receives the
finest recording yet...". His newest Naxos release is the Bardenklange,
Opus 13, of Johann Kaspar Mertz. Visit his
website. Go to the Benaroya sidebar for more.
HOLIDAY CONCERT AND PARTY: Saturday December 8 2007, 6.00 pm
Mark Wilson plays at Ravenna 3d Place Books, a great
book-shop/bakery/brunch spot/pub. A combination of children's songs arranged
by Bela Bartok and by Wilson, and 15th C. Spanish contrapunctalists Luys Milan and
Alonso Mudarra, as well as works by Tarrega and Albeniz. Mark plays at this warm
and comfortable venue every 2d Sunday. We challenge you to visit without buying a
vintage used book, a latte' and a morning-glory muffin!
Michael Lefevere will perform a solo recital with works by Bogdanovic, GIuliani,
Kleynjans, Obrovska and the premier of a new work by Seattle comnpose Randy
Hathaway. Suggested donation $10, proceeds to benefit Lynnwood Food Bank
Lynnwood Free Mehtodist Church, 6519 188th St. SW, Lynnwood WA 98037.
Michael Partington will perform his debut concert as a Faculty member of the
University of Washington, featuring works of Steven Goss (written for Mr.
Partington), Astor Piazolla, Bryan Johanson, Taro Takemitsu, Joaquim Roderigo and
Mauro Guiliani. Brechemin Auditorium, University of Washington (where parking is
free and open on Sundays!).
Baroque Northwest (Kim Pineda, Ronnee Fullerton, Elizabeth Brown and August
Denhard) are joined by violinist Tekla Cunningham and harpsichordist Jennifer
Streeter in "From Prussia with Love: Music from the Court of Frederick the
Great",
music by C.P.E. Bach, J.P.Kirnberger, Jan Dismas Zelenka. Good Shepherd Center, 4649
Sunnnyside Ave. N., Seattle. $25/20/10. 206-368-0735. Visit 
Have you visited Youtube...classical guitar? I was surprised to discover some fine
guitar performances, audio and video. Google 'youtube classical guitar'. It is a kind of
venue for dedicated amateurs plus the occasional seasoned professional. After some
intriguing tracks by Sting, ...right now I am listening to other
amateur performances of a familiar John Dowland Fancy,
not badly played, which has been viewed 5,611 times (
>
Michael Lefevre plays a concert of classical and
Latin music at The Upstage, 923 Washington St. in Port
Townsend
WA. 7.30 pm Sunday 6 May. 360-385-2216 for reservations.
"Lauro's virtuosic demands pose no problem at all for Adam Holman's
immaculate technique. More importantly, he taps into the heart and soul
of Lauro’s idiom, playing with effortless elan, flowing lyricism, and
infectious musicality.” – Classics Today
