Reaching Out: Dr. Michael Quantz interviewed by Matthew Hinsley
From Matt Hinsley’s great series about inspiring educators who dedicate themselves to teaching the guitar to young people:
Dr. Michael Quantz and the Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Festival
When I was teaching high school here in Brownsville, I had a parent approach me after one of our spring concerts. Her son had been in the guitar group for three years and was about to graduate. She had hardly spoken to me until this moment. That night she was in tears and could hardly speak. As she composed herself she told me how wonderful it was that her son, who was in the special education program, was able to participate so fully in anything at school as he had done in his guitar classes. She had never before seen him be so committed, improve so much, or be such a welcomed member of a group that did cool stuff.
- Dr. Michael Quantz
Each spring Dr. Quantz hosts one of the US' most important, longest-running guitar ensemble festivals. This year’s UT Brownsville Guitar Ensemble Festival was headlined by the LA Guitar Quartet! With the festival approaching, I asked Dr. Quantz about his plans for this year’s event, and his perspective of the current state of guitar education.
Read the full interview here!
Austin Guitar Salon, March 24th!
On Saturday March 24th, Louisville's Steve Mattingly performs for the first time in Austin on our Austin Guitar Salon Series. Cheese from Antonelli's, wine from Twin Liquors, and an intimate concert held in a historic Austin home hand picked for us by the Heritage Society of Austin. What could be better? Just a few seats remain! Get yours now online or call 512-300-ACGS!
We just got Steve’s program for the concert, and it looks perfect for the intimate salon setting! Can't wait!
Program
Fantasie Élégiaque, Op.59 Fernando Sor
Introduction: Andante largo (1778-1839)
Marche Funebre: Andante moderato
Suite Compostelana Frederic Mompou
Preludio (1893-1987)
Coral
Cuna
Cancion
Muiñeira
Sonata, Op. 61 Joaquín Turina
I. Lento - Allegro - Allegretto tranquillo (1882-1949)
II. Andante
III. Allegro vivo - Allegretto - Allegro vivo
Berta Rojas' Program!
We just got Berta’s program for Saturday night. She calls it ‘Pasaje Abierto’. Can't wait!
Vincent Lindsay-Clark
Laura
El Vuelo de la Mariposa (Flight of the Butterfly)*
Salsa Roja*
Quique Sinesi
Terruño
Cielo Abierto – Listen online now.
Edin Solis
Pasaje Abierto (Open Lane):
preludio - Tema de Alicia
danza
Intermission
Agustín Barrios
El Último Canto
Maxixe
Two Paraguayan dances:
Caazapa
Jha Che valle
Waltz Op. 8 Nº 4
Estudio de Concierto
La Catedral:
preludio
andante Religioso
allegro Solemne – listen online now.
*dedicated to Berta Rojas
Berta Rojas feature in the Austin-American Statesman
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Pre-concert dinner at Chez Zee, March 3rd!
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Guitars Under the Stars and Classical Cactus!
We couldn't be more excited for tomorrow's Guitars Under the Stars, which, we are pleased to announce, is sold out! This year's headlining artist is Eliot Fisk, a brilliant and captivating musician. Please stay tuned for a review of what we know will be glittering evening!
Coming up on Thursday the 16th is another installment of Classical Cactus with Kithara Duo and Joe Williams! This is the first Austin appearance for Kithara Duo – Olga Amelkina-Vera and Fernand Vera – and we’re thrilled to be presenting them at the Cactus. In addition to being a great guitar player, Olga is also a very talented composer who is this year's winner of our Guitars Galore Ensemble Composition Competition! Prior to their 9PM appearance, Austin composer and guitarist Joe Williams will open the show at 8. Notably, Williams was the composer of the amazing guitar orchestra and string quartet piece, “Austin Pictures”, we presented on October 1st with the Miro Quartet and Peter Bay! Get Tickets Here!
A Conversation with Johannes
Johannes Möller is one of those rare people who lifts you up just by his presence. You don’t even need to talk – just being in the same room and seeing his smile, and feeling his energy, brings a hard-to-describe effervescence and positivity. And nowhere is it more palpable than when you hear him play.
Johannes, of course, won the GFA when we hosted it in Austin in 2010. The GFA – as many know – is the world’s most prestigious interanational competition. Winning it is akin to winning Wimbledon… but on the guitar. And the fact that he won it right here in Austin, makes his return, on the GFA winner’s tour on January 28th, all the sweeter.
Joahnnes is an inventive composer who writes soulful, tuneful, and expressive music. He’ll play a bunch of original selections on the fabulous program he has planned for us (view his program online now).
Recently I asked Johannes to share some thoughts about his upcoming trip back to Austin.
Matthew Hinsley: What does it mean to you to come back to Austin, after winning GFA here in 2010?
Johannes Möller: Winning the GFA competition at the convention in Austin was huge and I will always have a special relation to your city. I dreamt about winning this competition since my early teenage years and I entered it various times in the past. Winning it was significant turning point in my career but also on a personal level as I was able to realize a dream.
MH: Is there any part of Austin you'd love to see, or see again?
JM: It was summer during the convention so I remember the tropical climate, you might not like it yourselves, but coming from Sweden I loved it! One of the highlights was going down to the river and getting mesmerized by the peaceful life of the turtles. However I was mostly at my hotel room practicing that week so I can't wait to see more of Austin this time!
MH: Tell me about Johannes the composer?
JM: My composing and guitar playing have gone hand in hand almost since I first got into music, which is now almost 20 years ago. There have been times when I feel that the two professions have competed between each other. But every year I feel that they support each other more and more, when I am interpreting music I go in depth and learn from the works of the masters of the past and of our time. And being a composer give me continuously new insights which makes my understanding of music deeper and deeper.
MH: Is there anything you'd like our audience to know walking into your concert?
JM: Sit back, enjoy and let the music take over!
MH: Is that your dog in the picture?
JM: Cassi lives with my father, but we feel that she belongs to the whole family!
Johannes Möller - Program
We are ecstatic to have Johannes Möller's concert just around the corner!
His program has several well known and beloved works but for sure, the thing to be most excited about are his own compositions. Johannes writes in a gorgeous, atmospheric, transparently expressive style.
To whet your appetite, here is a video online of him performing the first selection on his program!
Here, for the first time, is Johannes' full program for his Austin show on the 28th:
Song to the Mother (2009) Johannes Möller (b.1981)
Introduction and Variations K. A. Craeyvanger (1817-1868)
(on a theme from the opera Der Freischütz)
Asturias (Leyenda) from Suite Española Op. 47 Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
A star in the sky, a universe within… (2009) Johannes Möller
Intermission
Lamento-Scherzo (2010) Denis Gougeon (b. 1951)
Un Sueño en la Floresta Agustín Barrios-Mangoré (1885-1944)
Poem to a Distant Fire (2010) Johannes Möller
Ananda (2009) Johannes Möller
Johannes Möller, January 28th!
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Fund Drive Goal Reached!
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