Category Archives: Photos

WYGF 2013 – 1

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WYGF is the World Youth Guitar Festival, which conjures up images of children aged 8-18 jumping up and down with balloons, enthusiastic tutors being silly in a panto, and also some serious ensemble work with some of the best names in the business. It is a place where young guitarists of all abilities make music together under the musical direction of inspirational tutors and mentors.
This year, tutors include Gaelle Solal from France, the Duo Agostino from Australia, Frank Gerstmeier from Germany, Johannes Moller from Sweden, Peter Nuttall, Mark Eden, Mark Ashford, Helen Sanderson, Chris Stell, Nick Powlesland, Matthew Robinson and myself. The organisation was ably managed by Sandra and Trevor Dukes, Georgina Bashford as Head Mentor and the Festival Director Helen Sanderson.
This all took place in the hallowed grounds of Uppingham School.

WYGF

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China Sings! Kuang Junhong and the Iserlohn Festival Orchestra

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It was an exciting occasion – the world premier of the first two movements of my concerto “China Sings” – Kuang Junhong played with great delicacy and fiery virtuosity, and the orchestra was superb. Watch this space for all three movements with symphony orchestra.
Iserlohn Festival Orchestra

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Iserlohn 2013 – part 1

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It’s that time of year again, and I am in Iserlohn (Schwerte, actually, which is where the festival relocated).
This year there is a large contingent from China – students from Chengdu with their teacher Xu Bao, and also from Shanghai with Danny Yeh. I know most of the Chengdu students from my visit earlier this year

 

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Apostolos Paraskevas Recovery from Focal Dystonia

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My friend Apostolos Paraskevas has written two articles on recovery from Focal Dystonia.
He was very excited about his recovery and will be happy to share with anyone after the publication of the articles in Classical Guitar magazine.
There will be more about this most common and distressing syndrome amongst many professional guitarists.
Apostolos says:

 I was struck almost overnight by focal dystonia (FD) to my right hand after a concert. Continue reading →

Alternative performing venues part 2

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The alternative performing space I like best is Goldberg’s room next door to his boss Count Kaiserling. The Count was an insomniac and used to get Goldberg to play the clavichord to while away the night – no iPod or TV!
I often wonder how Goldberg must have spent his day and when he had time to practise! Of course, this would all have been a footnote in history if Forkel, Bach’s biographer had not written that Count Kaiserling had commissioned old Bach to write his eponymous set of variations for Goldberg. The Count was reported to have said, frequently  ‘Dear Goldberg, do play me one of my variations.’

A few years back, where would you have been able to listen to the following guitarists in a more or less regular series for free? Xue Fei Yang, Johannes Moller, David Leisner, Alison Smith, the Eden Stell Duo, Gerald Garcia and Alison Bendy?

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