ECU Guitar Festival celebrates 20th year with SoloDuo, Rene Izquierdo
SoloDuo—Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli – will perform at ECU this summer as part of the ECU Guitar Festival.
The 2015 East Carolina University Summer Guitar Festival and Workshop celebrates 20 years of world-class classical guitar with SoloDuo, Rene Izquierdo and others in Greenville on July 11-14 in the A. J. Fletcher Music Building on the ECU campus. Directed by ECU guitar professor Elliot Frank, the festival includes the International Concert Series, which features elite performers from the United States and abroad.
Hailing from Switzerland and Italy, SoloDuo—Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli—have performed throughout Europe, Asia, the US, Canada and Latin America, and have been acclaimed as one of the finest guitar ensembles in the world. About one of their performances, the Washington Post wrote “…the duo’s playing was nothing less than rapturous—profound and unforgettable musicianship of the highest order.”
Of international award winner and Cuba native Rene Izquierdo, Classical Guitar Magazine wrote “His natural and instinctive interpretations are second to none: his virtuoso technique allows him absolute command of the instrument giving him the independence of subtle phrasing, dazzling speed, beautiful tonal control… everything.”
Cuba native Rene Izquierdo will perform during the ECU Guitar Festival.
“Now in our twentieth year, this is perhaps the finest lineup I have ever had for this event,” Frank said. “Matteo Mela, Lorenzo Micheli and Rene Izquierdo are three of the very best guitarists, technically and musically, on earth, and together Matteo and Lorenzo are simply the finest duo alive. Not only are they artists of the highest caliber, they are master teachers as well.”
Other featured concert artists this year include The Sharpe/Zohn Duo, the Kithara Duo, 2014 festival competition winner Alec Holcomb, Elina Chekan, Zachary Johnson, William Kossler, Frank and others.
In additional to the International Concert Series, the finals of this year’s solo competition are open to the public and feature some of the finest young talent in the world of the guitar. Students compete for cash awards and a performance at next year’s festival.
The festival’s workshop and camp are open to students ages 10-and-up who wish to acquire or improve skills on the classical guitar. Students under the age of 10 may participate with parental supervision. For the first time, instruction in the Suzuki guitar method is available to students with William Kossler, the originator of Suzuki guitar in the US, serving as lead instructor.
For more information regarding the workshop or concert series, contact Dr. Elliot Frank at 252-328-6245, or by email at franke@ecu.edu, or visit www.ecu.edu/music/guitar/workshop.
2015 Summer Guitar Festival Concerts
Saturday July 11
Afternoon
ECU Alumni 4 p.m.
Evening
Elliot Frank/Rene Izquierdo 7:30 p.m.
Sunday July 12
Afternoon
Zachary Johnson 4 p.m.
Evening
Kithara Duo/Soloduo 7:30 p.m.
Monday July 13
Afternoon
Solo Competition Semifinals 4 p.m.
Evening
Alec Holcomb/Sharpe Zohn Duo 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday July 14
Afternoon 4 p.m.
Youth competition finals
Evening
College competition finals 7:30 p.m.
Individual event ticket prices
Afternoon concerts $10 adults, $5 students; Evening concerts $20 adults, $15 students
Pass for all eight concerts: $50.00, adults, $30.00 students
All concerts are in the Recital Hall, Fletcher Music Center, ECU, Greenville, NC.
Tickets: 1-800-ECU-ARTS; 252-328-4788, 252-328-4736 V/TTY; www.ecuarts.com, or at the door.