FESTIVAL PREVIEW: A Celebration of Guitar & Chord at the 'City of Derry Guitar Festival'
The City of Derry Guitar Festival is back this month for what will be its 13th instalment.
Spread over 4 days, the festival offers music lovers the chance to see concerts from International renowned guitarists from around the world as well as the very best of local talent.
It also provides the opportunity to participate in master classes and workshops and is suitable for all players and composers of all levels, ability and age.
In association with the North West Regional, the festival makes full use of the fantastic facilities on offer and will be housed in the Foyle building on campus. With a philosophy of understanding the guitar and promoting the diversity of its music and artists, all within a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
The opening concert will provide the opportunity to see the man who has been described by Classical Guitar Magazine, UK as “one of the great communicators of the guitar world”. Carlos Bonell has recorded more than twenty albums and played in over forty countries with concert appearances ranging from intimate recitals to concertos with symphony orchestras.
His most recent album Magical Mystery Guitar Tour went to number one on the UK iTunes classical album charts in 2012 and is inspired by his association with Sir Paul McCartney.
Also joining Carlos for the Opening Concert will be Alberto Grollo, an Italian composer and guitarist who has been a regular at various festivals and events around the world such as the European Issoudun Guitar Festival in France, the International Festival of Nashville, and the International Film Festival of Venice to name a few.
Friday continues the musical momentum with Wiktoria Szubelak, a Polish classical guitarist and Martin Harley playing slide blues guitar, to perform in the Gala Concert.
Wiktoria is considered to be one of the finest Polish classical guitarist of all time and was the finalist of the Polish edition of the Eurovision Contest for Young Musicians. She has also played with Maestro Wojciech Rajski and the Polish Radio Orchestra at the Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio in Warsaw.
Saturday sees the ‘World Stage Solo Performance’ by Declan Zapala on acoustic and classical guitar, and Amir John Haddad with flamenco guitar.
Declan is also a regular on the festival scene playing in various countries throughout the world and he has also received 5 star reviews for many of his solo performances including ‘Fusion Guitar: Classical & Percussive Guitar’ and ‘Guitar Multiverse’.
Declan Zapala is a German-Spanish flamenco guitarist and is said to be noted for his rich chord voicings, which have a clear Moorish and Arabic influence.
The following night sees the festival brought to a close by a free to attend event, the Student Gala which will consist of solo and ensemble performances by the students.
The City of Derry Guitar Festival is a fantastic event in the City’s musical calendar and for those of you who do not want to miss a note, a Festival Pass is available to purchase for £30 letting you catch every performance during the festival.
